Brand-new label ‘Boervriendelijk’ ('Farmer-Friendly' label).
Fruit At Work the first to receive the brand-new ‘Boervriendelijk’ label
The Zonhoven-based company Fruit At Work received the ‘Boervriendelijk’ (‘Farmer-Friendly’) label for paying a fair price to producers.
"Ever since Russia closed its doors to Belgian fruit, the market has been under heavy pressure. Due to oversupply, a fair price for Belgian farmers is often hard to find," says Yannick Aerts of Fruit At Work. "Because we often buy directly from growers, we can offer them a correct and fair price. Furthermore, that doesn’t mean we charge our consumers higher price," he adds.
"Ever since Russia closed its doors to Belgian fruit, the market has been under heavy pressure. Due to oversupply, a fair price for Belgian farmers is often hard to find," says Yannick Aerts of Fruit At Work. "Because we often buy directly from growers, we can offer them a correct and fair price. Furthermore, that doesn’t mean we charge our consumers higher price," he adds.
The label was awarded following an evaluation by a jury of growers. Fruit At Work is the very first company to receive the label. The label itself is entirely new and was developed by a group of fruit growers from Limburg. After approval from a professional group, they are allowed to endorse it. The label is supported by the Boerenbond (Belgian Farmers’ Union) and the Innovation Support Centre, in collaboration with Limburg fruit growers. It was developed as part of the LIONS project (Stimulating Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Limburg).
Fruit At Work, run by the Aerts brothers, delivers fruit weekly to more than 3,000 companies across Belgium. Earlier this year, Fruit At Work also received the Walloon counterpart of this label: the ‘Prix Juste Producteur’.
Source: Het Belang van Limburg