P 1 HENRIWILLIG.COM FROM STABLE TO STORE Annual sustainability report Henri Willig Group 2022-2023
P 2 Martin Willig Riet Willig Henri Willig Wiebe Willig Jacob Willig FAMILY WITH LOVE FOR NATURE’S FINEST As a family and founders of our growing organization, which we proudly call the Cheese Family, we have been enjoying the beautiful craft of cheesemaking for fifty years now. Nature is good to us and we are good to nature. We enjoy seeing healthy animals grazing in the meadow and the creamy milk they provide. With that milk and a bit of patience we create the taste of Henri Willig. Delicious, authentic and nature’s finest. HENRIWILLIG.COM
P 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Annual sustainability report Henri Willig Group 2022-2023 Kaasmakerij Henri Willig B.V. | The Netherlands sales@henriwillig.com | +31 (0)513 48 43 60 Page Preface 4 Introdction 6 PEOPLE 9 Staff 9 Social responsibility 9 Pure products 11 ANIMALS 12 100% outdoor grazing 12 Animal-friendly stable 12 Healthy animals 13 Goat farms 15 NATURE 16 Biodiversity 16 Environmental impact 21 Investment in sustainable energy sources 22
HENRIWILLIG.COM PREFACE As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, we are proud of the ways in which we inspire others whilst we also continue to be inspired ourselves. Our cheeses combined with Dutch hospitality bring people from all over the world together to create unforgettable cheese moments. Growing up among the cows and the goats on the farm, my parents taught me that you cannot make top quality cheese without healthy and happy animals. Animal welfare and sustainability have been a crucial part of Henri Willig’s craftsmanship since 1974. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, we are proud of the ways in which we inspire others whilst we also continue to be inspired ourselves. We want to leave the earth better than we found it. We not only focus on reducing our climate footprint, but also increasingly on restoring biodiversity in the Dutch landscape. And that is desperately needed, because both biodiversity and the absolute numbers of animals and plants have declined sharply worldwide, partly due to the use of pesticides, mineral fertilizers and freshwater supplies. More than forty farms now supply us with milk. We financially enable these family businesses to offer better living conditions and achieve a longer lifespan of their animals. Our dairy farmers work in conjunction with nature to restore as much as possible the biodiversity that once characterized our country. We are particularly proud of the fact that all our cow farmers give their animals full outdoor grazing. Our own biological Jersey farm in Katwoude serves as a source of inspiration for other farmers. Together with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and several fellow dairy farmers, we have been investigating the benefits of extended milking with fewer calving moments for several years, because it contributes to healthy living conditions and a longer lifespan for our animals. P 4
There is always room for improvement, so we continue to develop ourselves to leave the world a better place for future generations. Looking forward to the next 50 years! Wiebe Willig Wiebe Willig - Managing Director Henri Willig Group P 5
INTRODUCTION When Henri Willig took over his father’s farm in 1974 he dreamed of making cheese himself. And so it happened. His passion and talent did not remain unnoticed. The cheese farm, located in the beautiful Dutch polder landscape, quickly became successful. Henri Willig has been a true pioneer from the very beginning in developing new products. In the early 80s he was one of the first cheesemakers to introduce Gouda-style cheese of goat’s milk. A recipe for success! This goat cheese won many prizes. His artisanal cheese factory has grown into a well-known supplier of premium cheeses with 2 cheese dairies and many satisfied global customers. In addition, Henri Willig every year welcomes millions of visitors from all over the world in in his 37 own stores, including 3 cheese farms, a clog factory, a cheese restaurant and the Story of Edam Cheese experience. Corporate Social Responsibility As a company, Henri Willig is committed to inspire the world and to make it more beautiful. Therefore, we proactively contribute to realizing the Sustainable Development Goals that the United Nations adopted in 2015. We do this with our own sustainability program under the name Milk & More. P 6
P 7 Milk & More Our Milk & More program aims to work with the utmost respect with people, animals and nature. A tangible example of this is the support we offer our own farmers in order to realize sustainability improvements. We pay our regular dairy cow farmers a fair, above average milk price, to enable them to achieve sustainability objectives. We also realize our Milk & More program by making authentic, natural products. This means that we use additives for colour, flavour and preservation as little as possible. Our delicious cheeses are made using traditional methods, and where possible improved by our technological innovation. As a modern manufacturer, we respond to the changing needs and demands of society. Henri Willig believes that growth, sustainability and being a great place to work go hand in hand. Transparency is our strength. The interests of our consumers, our customers and our employees are of great importance in developing new products and improving our processes. We also look for different ways to make contributions to society. How do we do all this? You’ll find out more by continuing to read this annual report on our socially responsible entrepreneurship. Henri Willig
The Milk & More program strives for a responsible approach towards people, animals and nature, by generously supporting our farmer partners for sustainability improvements, including a fair milk price to promote grazing and other sustainability goals among dairy cow farmers. We have aligned multi-year objectives in the area of corporate social responsibility with our livestock farmers and our cheese makers. OUR CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS P 8 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Netherlands) Henri Willig sustainability ambitions 2025 & 2030 Health (people) • < 1,4 daily dose of antibiotics per year per cow by 2025 Animal welfare (cow) • > 6,5 years of cow lifespan by 2025 • > 200 days or > 1400 hours of grazing by 2025 Nitrogen and Ammonia emissions (nature) • < 100 kg N per hectare by 2025 • < 45 kg NH3 per hectare by 2025 Water saving (nature) • 10% less water consumption per kg of cheese by 2030 (compared to 2020) Energy saving (nature) • 10% energy consumption per kg of cheese by 2030 (compared to 2020) • > 95% of electricity consumption will be green energy by 2025
PEOPLE 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 0 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 P 9 Henri Willig is a real family business, for us it’s all about people. The team of people we work with is now much bigger than our own family. It is in our DNA to carefully build valuable, lasting relationships with all our employees and business partners. Staff Henri Willig has grown into an international company with more than 500 employees. As we grow bigger and bigger, it becomes more difficult for all of us to speak the same language. But at the same time we know that together we are Henri Willig and that everyone makes the difference in our organization. Every year we conduct an employee satisfaction survey, because we feel greatly responsible for the people who work at our company. Within our Henri Willig Academy, we offer a variety of training programs and courses to further develop and enhance our employees’ talents. Employee Satisfaction Survey Scores Social responsibility Henri Willig feels great responsibility for the social environment in the company. We offer various group assignments for schools, internships and traineeships to share our knowledge with young professionals and guide them to a great future.
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Pure products Our aim is to make our products as natural as possible for our consumers. It can be easily noticed that our cheeses have a softer colour profile because we do not add unnecessary colourants. We also avoid using unnecessary flavourings and preservatives. In case flavourings are used, we work as much as possible with natural aromas. We prioritize happy animals and an increased focus on organic products because, as a family, we naturally practice sustainability and feel a deep connection to future generations. Therefore, our Henri Willig brand ambition is to grow towards 100% organic. We focus on the entire value chain, from milk production to packaged end product, and strive to maintain maximum purity at every level. Henri Willig is able to do this, because unlike most other cheese manufacturers, we are closely involved with the full chain: from stable to store. By partnering with our own farmers, with whom we maintain a close relationship, we have significant influence on the purity of the milk we use for our cheeses. During the preparation and ripening process we also keep the milk as pure as possible. To ensure food safety, we pasteurize the milk. Beyond that we maintain the natural structure of the milk as much as possible and process it in a natural way. P 11
P 12 We cannot make cheese without our animals. To guarantee the premium quality cheese that Henri Willig makes, taking care of healthy animals in the best possible way is our highest priority. All our efforts and investments are therefore aimed at offering optimal welfare to the animals that provide us with their delicious milk. 100% outdoor grazing All our dairy cow farms practice outdoor grazing. That’s what makes us unique, no other dairy company affiliated with the Dutch Dairy Association (NZO) can make that claim. We pay a fair price to our cow farmers, well above the standard, which enables them to farm in a sustainable way and provide maximum outdoor grazing opportunities to their cows. Benefits of outdoor grazing: • It’s good for the cow’s general well-being, because the meadow is the most natural habitat for a cow. • It results in lower ammonia emissions due to the fact that manure and urine do not mix together, contrary to what happens in a stable. • It also results in a positive effect on biodiversity, because the feces that cows leave behind attract various insects to the meadow, which subsequently attract a variety of birds. The share of all dairy farms in the Netherlands that achieved full outdoor grazing in 2022 was 73.6% (source: Sustainable Dairy Chain sector report). On the other hand Henri Willig and his cow farm partners all achieved outdoor grazing: 100%! The national standard for outdoor grazing in regular dairy farms is at least 120 days per year and a minimum of 6 hours a day. The national standard for organic outdoor grazing is at least 180 days a year and at least 8 hours per day. As can be seen in the graph below, our farmers are well above the minimum standard. Animal-friendly stable In meadows, the natural habitat of cows, they choose their own place to lie down. In our new stable in Katwoude we have mirrored this optimal environment for the animals. They can walk in and out themselves. It is an open space with natural daylight and a soft surface where the cows can stretch out, close to a buddy or in a separate place, whatever they prefer. We notice that the cows move more freely, are less stiff and that a natural hierarchy arises among the animals, resulting in healthy and happy cows. Every day the stable is cleaned and provided with a fresh layer of straw. The solid manure from the stable is less acidic and more organic, which is better for the soil. Part of our manure goes to an arable farmer, who uses it to grow his biological dynamic crops. We in turn take his organic crops to feed our cows. 100 - 150 - 200 - 250 - 0 2021 2022 2023 NATIONAL STANDARD OUTDOOR GRAZING HENRI WILLIG MILK & MORE NORM FOR ORGANIC COW MILK 500 - 1000 - 1500 - 2000 - 0 2021 2022 2023 NATIONAL STANDARD OUTDOOR GRAZING HENRI WILLIG MILK & MORE NORM FOR ORGANIC COW MILK 2500 - 3000 - 3500 - Outdoor grazing in average hours Outdoor grazing in average days ANIMALS
P 13 Lifespan In years SUBJECT 2025 AMBITION RESULTS 2021 RESULTS 2022 RESULTS 2023 Antibiotics In daily doses Calf mortality 6,17 6,55 6,63 1,58 1,45 2,8 % 3,4 % 2,3 % > 6 < 3 < 10% 1,39 Healthy animals Our dairy farmers participate in national programs in the field of animal health and welfare. Additionally we make supplementary agreements in our Milk & More program, to achieve a sustainable dairy chain. Objectives and results of the Henri Willig Milk & More program at cow farmers from which we process conventional milk. Happy Lines Better safe than sorry: that’s why in Katwoude we work with a veterinarian who also advises on the best herbs and minerals to keep the organs in good health. A healthy cow has a shiny and smooth skin. In healthy animals one can often see the so-called “happy lines” running horizontally across the cow’s belly. We are very glad to see that an increasing number of our cows show these “happy lines”. A sign for us that the cow eats enough vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and is in great condition. If one of our cows gets sick, first alternative medicines will be applied to make the animal better. As a last resort antibiotics are given to prevent unnecessary animal suffering. We don’t keep the descendants of this particular cow. In general, the current breed of cows has been kept afloat by antibiotics, but we are returning to a natural basis.
P 14 Extended milking A cow is most vulnerable during the calving period. This is due to a negative energy balance which is the result of cows, who just had a calf, consuming too little feed in relation to the quantity of milk they produce. The traditional custom is to let a cow calve every year. We choose to let our cows calve once every two years. This not only reduces the number of vulnerable periods in the cow’s life by half, promoting the cow’s, but also results in more moderate growth of the total amount of livestock. Moreover, we are currently investigating the option to extend the calving period to once every three years. We believe that this will benefit animal welfare and extend the total lifespan of our cows.
Goat farms Our goat farmers also contribute to better animal welfare by applying the guidelines from the Sustainable Goat Dairy Chain (DGZK). They have registered a lot of relevant data since 2020 to gain better insight into the well-being of the goats. There are three particular areas of interest: sustainability & climate, reputation and animal health and welfare. Energy scan SUBJECT MAXIMUM SCORE RESULTS 2021 RESULTS 2022 RESULTS 2023 Reputation and market activity Lifespan 17 14 19,9 18 19,8 18,7 PERCENTAGE ACHIEVED IN 2023 VS. MAX. SCORE 25 Antibiotics daily dosage Animal welfare monitor Extended milking Animal diseases and zoonoses Care for male goats 25 25 25 50 50 25 25 80 % 75 % 22,5 17 21,5 86 % 25 22,5 25 100 % 34,4 34,7 34,5 69 % 14 13,5 14 28 % 22,5 21,6 20,1 80 % 24 25 25 100 % P 15 Objectives and results of our goat farms. The DGZK has created a points system which all affiliated companies leverage.
P 16 We work with respect for nature because we want to leave the earth behind better than we found her. We want to work towards a circular system in which we use natural resources in the most prudent way. Biodiversity Almost half of the Netherlands consists of pasture land. In that context biodiversity is an important topic. It is very challenging to ensure that our soil remains fertile, because unfortunately there is a high risk of exhaustion. We want to create soil that will support us for thousands of years to come, but how do we do that? Our organic cheese brand Hooidammer focuses on biodiversity, highlighting 4 different ecosystems: soil, meadow, water and field edge. Together with our farmers we actively work on the basis of these ecosystems to maintain a biodiverse landscape that is nature-inclusive and in balance. In this way, nature and dairy farming will reinforce each other and we can continue to produce pure, organic cheese for many generations. In all worlds special attention is paid to flora and fauna, but above all to a healthy soil. NATURE ”A MEADOW LIKE A MEADOW SHOULD BE.”
P 17 Soil Everything starts with excellent soil quality! Without a healthy soil there is no healthy meadow, water or field edge. It has been scientifically proven that a rich soil life ensures optimization of soil processes, that more nutrients become available for the plants and soil structure remains airy. Frequent and deep plowing damages life beneath the surface. Also the use of fertilizers is harmful to soil life, besides the fact that it takes a lot of energy to produce. We therefore encourage the organic method, without the use of fertilizer and pesticides. Another application we promote to stimulate life beneath the surface is to distribute solid manure on the mowing plots. Areas for pasture, on the other hand, we will not further fertilize. We also don’t use heavy machines because they cause soil compaction. As a result, life beneath the surface and the root system of the grasses would not be able to function optimally. By using lighter tools we prevent compaction. Not plowed for 15 years Dairy farmer Jakob and his son Feitze tell us that they have not plowed their land for about 15 years. This is clearly visible above the ground. Their meadows are much more colourful then the at the adjacent farms. Buttercups, dandelions, cuckoo-flowers, sorrel, etc. provide a colourful meadow. “A meadow like a meadow should be.” Hooidammer farmer Jakob Solid manure as the black gold Dairy farmer Jan-Klaas sees solid manure from his stable as the black gold. All life beneath the surface, including bacteria, fungi and protozoa, benefits from the application of solid manure. Cow feces are swarming with earthworms. The more earthworms in a meadow, the better it is for the birds in the meadow. Manure also attract additional flies and dung beetles, which are also a healthy feed for the meadow birds and their chicks. Because, “what is good for the earthworm is good for the cow” is Jan-Klaas’s motto. Hooidammer farmer Jan-Klaas
P 18 Meadow Birds play a key role in the meadow. A lot of our farmers apply meadow bird management and see the numbers breeding pairs increase over the past few years. Birds in the meadow Hooidammer farmer Remco is a supporter of nature-inclusive farming, piloting early outdoor grazing shortly after winter. By allowing a small selection of his cows to start outdoor grazing in early spring, the feces attracts insects, which is essential food for the young birds in the meadow. His pasture is part of the Fochteloërveen, the protected breeding area of the crane. Hooidammer farmer Remco 1 2 3 4 This infographic shows the importance of a healthy ecosystem in agriculture. A cow grazes in a meadow with diverse, herb-rich grass. Manure is naturally spread by insects, which enhances soil fertility. Birds in the area feed on insects and worms. Thanks to the cow’s manure, the meadow becomes full of life. This results in high-quality milk and cheese, rich in flavour.
P 19 Life between the reeds Hooidammer farmer Jurjen regularly sees deer and hares disappear in the reeds. That’s why he only mows the reeds in August, after which he feeds it to his young animals. “In this way the minerals from the reed ultimately get reabsorbed by the soil via the manure, creating a natural cycle.” Hooidammer farmer Jurjen Water In and around the water there is a lot of life. Ditches that cross the meadows play an important role in water management and biodiversity. Ditches drain excess water and thus prevent floods. Moreover, ditch banks form a natural habitat for all kinds of animals, which feed on snails and insects that live in and around the water. These small water animals are also an important part of the food chain. In the meantime water plants take care of the production of oxygen, which helps to breakdown of pollutants. Cleaning the ditches requires a lot of the farmer’s attention. The peat meadow areas around Henri Willig’s farm are shrinking a little bit every year. Extremely dry summers accelerate this process. Other farming activities like growing corn also accelerates this. That is why we have chosen for 100% permanent grassland. To slow down subsidence, we structurally raise the water level in our ditches vs. general polder level. Natural balance in and around the water Hooidammer farmer Marten: “By dredging one removes all life out of the ditch. No fish survives its impact. By cleaning only half of the ditch with a mowing bucket, I create a natural balance in and around the water.” Hooidammer farmer Marten
P 20 Field edge It’s more and more common to sow flower strips at the edge of a meadow to support bees, bumblebees and butterflies. There is a great diversity of meadow flowers such as chamomile, marigold and cornflower. Because of its striking scarlet red colour, the poppy is often quite eye-catching. Field edges exist in many shapes and can serve various goals. Flower strips, for example, help to increase general biodiversity on and around the farm. In combination with trees and shrubs, a field edge functions as a natural connection between nature reserves for larger animals such as deer and hares. In addition, a field edge can contribute to improving water quality. Because the field edge forms a buffer between the field and adjacent surface water, there is less erosion and washing away of fertilizers. Blossom and growth along the field Hooidammer farmer Tjomme is very pleased with his the flower strips he has sown. He also regularly sees cyclists get off to take pictures. The fear that these strips would lead to loss of yield turned out to be unfounded. Hooidammer farmer Tjomme
P 21 Environmental impact Through our Milk & More program we monitor and minimize the environmental impact together with our farmers by measuring, among other things, the amount of homegrown protein. Homegrown protein starts with the efficient use of grass. A cow can eat a certain amount of forage. We gladly take up the challenge to ensure our forage is in top condition. Timely mowing, a fertile soil, thorough drying and combining the correct composition of various harvests based on lab results. In addition to forage, a cow can also obtain proteins from concentrates that come from the fertile soil of our own land. We only feed a limited supply of concentrates to better make use of excess protein in the meadow grass. This is concentrate with an energy component in the form of sugars, which ensure that the bacteria in the tripe stay active. More homegrown protein contributes to a closed cycle and less need for external supply. We also keep track of the nitrogen surplus and ammonia emissions. Cows produce a lot of nitrogen; once their pee and manure mix together, ammonia is formed, which is a form of nitrogen. By encouraging grazing and by using less concentrates with proteins in feeding the cows, less nitrogen is released. Objectives and results of the Henri Willig Milk & More program at the cow farmers, from which we process conventional milk. Protein from own fields SUBJECT GOALS 2025 RESULTS 2021 RESULTS 2022 RESULTS 2023 Nitrogen surplus in kg N/Ha 68 % 71 % 67% 45 47 49 Ammonia emission in NH3/Ha 125 106 82 > 65 % < 120 kg N/Ha < 45 kg NH3/Ha
P 22 Investment in sustainable energy sources Our cheese factories in Katwoude and Heerenveen as well as all our Dutch stores run 100% on green energy. Last year 1234 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the cheese factory in Heerenveen. In Katwoude we already have 1402 solar panels supply power. What make these solar panels unique is that they also generate heat. That heat is used for the wash water, which must be approximately 38 degrees during the cheese-making process. In addition to the standard measures to save and generate energy, we always look for opportunities to take extra steps. An example of this is the use of an evaporator. When making cheese, rennet is added to the milk to separate the solid elements in the milk (proteins, fat and minerals) from the fluids, called whey. An evaporator converts whey into compact whey. In Heerenveen we invested a few years ago in such an evaporator. Where one needs six trucks for the transport of regular whey, compact whey only requires one truck. That saves hundreds of truck movements every year. Recently, we have implemented a nanofiltration line in our cheese factory in Katwoude. This sustainable method uses membrane technology to concentrate our cheese whey, saving us nearly 80 truck trips at this location in 2023. We collect approx. 1.5 million liters of rainwater in Katwoude. This water we use to flush the toilets, used by thousands of visitors every year, but also as drinking water for our Jersey cows. The more rainwater falls, the less tap water we need.
P 23 Join our Henri Willig Cheese Family, where flavor knows no boundaries! ‘Where nature knows no limits!’ 2 CHEESE DAIRIES: KATWOUDE & HEERENVEEN 38 SHOPS NATIONALLY & INTERNATIONALLY AND STILL COUNTING 42 DAIRY FARMERS WE WORK WITH 7,5 MILLION MILLION INTERNATIONAL VISITORS PER YEAR IN OWN SHOPS 6 CHEESE A YEAR MILLION KG
P 24 HENRIWILLIG.COM With heartfelt gratitude to the employees and farmers of Henri Willig for their valuable contributions. Kaasmakerij Henri Willig B.V. | The Netherlands sales@henriwillig.com | +31 (0)513 48 43 60 HW-MVO-Broch-US-2024-v1
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