ThePartnership no. 16

18 Index Dear reader,

18 Index Dear reader, dear partner, Welcome to the 16th edition of the Enza Zaden ‘Partnership’ magazine! Fresh, frozen, cooked or dried: we all eat vegetables in many different forms, colours and a range of flavours. We need to develop new varieties at a fast pace in order to sustain not only the constantly changing environment, but also the changing consumer demands. This presents a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with partners in the complete product chain - from breeding to eating - and establish a stronger connection with the consumer. There is still a wealth of information that needs to be shared about the value and consideration each link in the chain brings to our daily meals. Consumers are also shifting towards organic produce. Enza Zaden is very proud that Vitalis Organic Seeds, a leader in the innovation of organic seed breeding and production, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. We welcome you to read more about Vitalis Organic Seeds in this issue. Allison Thomas, Chief Operations Officer 22 Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important topic to consumers. How much water and energy are used in the production, storage and transport of produce? How many vegetables are we eating as consumers and how much is (unfortunately) wasted in the process? These are only a few of the questions that consumers are asking about the food chain. At Enza Zaden we are continuously involved with crop research and the breeding of new varieties that enable efficient vegetable production. Also, with the new trend in urban farming and vertical farming to grow products closer to the areas of high-density population, it is important to develop products that will fit these new methods. 8 32 14 Cover: Marcel van Diemen, Breeding Facilities Manager Vitalis Organic Seeds 4 8 12 14 Sweet shop full of tomatoes 25 years ago you could only find traditional round and large beef tomatoes in the super market shelves. Nowadays, consumers can choose tomatoes with different colours, sizes, shapes and flavour. Vitalis has been offering ‘the best of both worlds’ for 25 years How did Vitalis Ogranic Seeds in 25 years develop from a pioneer in organic seed cultivation to a global player with its own breeding programme? Improving with age The good relationship between BioAmerica and Enza Zaden is build on respect and vision. The close cooperation between these companies has lead to innovative solutions for the fresh produce market in Chile. How to build strong customer relationships? What is the key ingredient for good customer relationships? Besides a good cup of coffee, it al comes down to personal attention and real interest in your client. 17 18 22 25 In Focus Tribelli® peppers are of great taste! This is now a fact, since Tribelli® has been awarded with the Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institue in Brussel. Changes come fast in South East Asia Here is no region in the world as diverse when it comes to culture an eating habits as South East Asia. What does this mean for the developments, looking at global trends? Lettuce move forward together Labour shortage in the agricultural sector raises the need for technological solutions like mechanical harvesting. What does this mean for the development of lettuce varieties? What do breeders need to take into account? Column Rodolfo Leya, Regional Sales Director North America, gives his vision on cross-regional teamwork. And how this leads to success. 26 30 32 34 The sun always shines in Finnish greenhouses Finland; during some periods of the year the most darkest place on earth. How do Finnish people, with a strong need for independency, make sure they can grow their own vegetables with the right amount of light? Focus on high-end products results in solid relationship Marco Schembari from Isolagrande explains how the close relationship with Enza Zaden has lead to successes for both companies. Enza Zaden goes for green energy and reduced CO 2 emissions What does a company like Enza Zaden do, to reduce its carbon footprint. Event calendar An overview of upcoming events. Partnership | 3