News & releases

Volkert Engelsman, CEO of organic produce specialist Eosta, has joined an influential Dutch think tank in a petition to the to-be-formed Dutch government to expand the laws on Duty of Care to social and environmental issues. According to a plan supported by 25 university professors of Corporate Law, (supervisory) directors of companies should be obligated by law to formally report on their company’s social and environmental impact.

Lots of delicious organic products on offer, this week for example:

Video: Kenyan packhouse worker Marriam tells about her life and the impact of a Living Wage

Serious financial measures needed to break through Dutch dilemmas

Hi, my name is Kara Connor and we grow and export premium organic dates from California. The Kohl Family Farm has been growing medjool dates on its 500 acre ranch in Coachella Valley, California for almost two decades. It's a real family farm as it has been in the family for 4 generations. The decision to farm organically was not a difficult one for us, as we have always believed that this way of farming was the right way to treat the earth.

On Monday 1 March, Dutch daily newspaper Trouw featured a big interview with Eosta CEO Volkert Engelsman. The interviews discusses why organic market share in the Netherlands is lacking so far behind (only 3.3%) compared to the rest of Europe. Volkert Engelsman reflects on the issue from 30 years of experience. “Internationally the food market is now all about two words: health and vitality. That is the new normal. But Dutch agriculture has focussed on one thing only since World War II: more kilograms per hectare. This has led to a severe case of mysofobia for organic agriculture”. “As a result, Germany, France and the Scandinavian countries are now leading the way, and the Netherlands follow far behind. Netherlands is only a minor sales country for us.”

Monday 8^thof March is the official kick-off of the yearly Dutch “Week without Meat”. Worldwide we also know Meatless Monday and World Meat Free Week in June. As the name suggests, all participants actively choose not to consume meat products. Studies are showing the detrimental effect that the meat industry has on both the health of our planet as well as our own health. By consuming no meat for 1 week you will save 130 liters of water, 76 km of driving by car, and create a nice amount of animal welfare!

Hello, my name is Sergio Cosi! Together with my family I run this business in Argentina. We produce, process and market organic pears and apples from the high valley of the Negro river and Neuquén, in Argentina.