Sustainability in the food industry: The ZNU-Standard as a solid foundation for the Bauer Group's sustainability processes
The Bauer Group has implemented the ZNU-Standard since 2020. Julia Kastl, who has been working as Sustainability Manager since the beginning of 2024, told us about her first impressions and experiences with the ZNU-Standard and her first audit. She was joined by her colleague Christina Sichler, who also recently joined the Bauer Group.
How Julia Kastl found the Bauer Group and thus the ZNU-Standard
Kastl's career as a sustainability manager in the food industry is no coincidence. Her family already attached great importance to home-grown fruit and vegetables. In her bachelor's thesis, various internships and jobs as a student assistant, she immersed herself in the topic of sustainable management. Today, she still particularly benefits from the insights she gained into the working methods of three very different companies: an established organic pioneer, an oat milk start-up and a medium-sized company that was still at the very beginning of its sustainability activities. During her job interview at the Bauer Group, she immediately had a good feeling: ‘I realised straight away that there was a great atmosphere in the company.’ Above all, however, she was impressed by the attitude of the company management: "The Bauer Group is a fifth-generation family business. And you can really tell that sustainability is a matter close to the Bauer family's heart."
"I immediately realised that there was a great atmosphere in the company. [...] And you really realise that the topic of sustainability is also a matter close to the Bauer family's heart."
The ZNU-Standard Driving Sustainable Change as a foundation
‘The ZNU-Standard was more or less given to me at Bauer as a foundation and exemplified,’ Kastl reports. She describes it as a fundamental element of the corporate culture that runs like a solid foundation. ‘The processes in the individual departments run smoothly,’ Kastl reports. However, she knows from what her colleagues have told her that the start was still a little bumpy. The biggest challenge at the beginning was establishing the processes of the ZNU-Standard alongside day-to-day business. However, the benefits now clearly outweigh the challenges for Kastl: ‘The result is an ongoing and supportive process that really works.’
"The ZNU-Standard was always given to me as a basis, as an example. So it's a fundamental element of the company."
The ZNU-Standard as a process that motivates
The continuous improvement process established by the ZNU standard has given the topic of sustainability at Bauer more structure. For Kastl, the standard is ‘hands-on’ and leads through each field of action in an understandable way. ‘It is a good tool for approaching the topic of sustainability, getting to grips with it and making it tangible,’ explains Kastl.
For colleagues, the goal of undergoing an external audit is also a strong motivation: it offers a clear incentive to set goals independently and pursue them consistently. ‘This change brought speed to all the issues,’ adds Kastl. This was particularly evident in the key topics: The requirement to publicly present concrete sustainability goals from the environmental, economic and social areas on the website has further sharpened Bauer's strategic focus areas - packaging, purchasing and animal welfare.
‘The goal of going through an external audit brought speed to all the issues.’
'Driving Sustainable Change', supported by the entire workforce
With the help of the ZNU-Standard, the topic of ‘Driving Sustainable Change’ was given greater internal visibility. A list of ideas was particularly successful, with over 200 suggestions initially submitted by employees - many of which were actually implemented. Julia Kastl explains that the opportunity to submit ideas still exists and is even remunerated if an implemented suggestion leads to cost savings. The efforts to involve all employees of the Bauer Group are also visible through their involvement in events and training concepts. This includes training trainees to become ‘sustainability ambassadors’, sustainability chain training and integration into welcome events for new employees.
"A few years ago, we created a list of ideas and now it's a real process for us. You can submit ideas, which are then scrutinised and evaluated. And if it leads to cost savings, for example, then it is also remunerated in monetary terms."
Exciting audit days
Although the Bauer Group has been certified to the ZNU-Standard since 2020, Julia Kastl and her colleague Christina Sichler only recently underwent their first audit. They have particularly positive memories of the open dialogue with the auditor. They describe the two audit days as surprisingly pleasant and appreciative: ‘It was more of a dialogue at eye level than a stiff audit situation.’ Despite critical questions, the auditor was always positively surprised by the measures already implemented. For Kastl and Sichler, the audit was not just a control and stocktaking exercise, but also an opportunity to reflect on the path taken so far. They found the auditor's technical expertise particularly enriching: ‘We were able to go into a little more depth during the dialogue.’ They are now using the observations raised in the audit as an impetus for further development.
"I have to say, I was really very pleasantly surprised. [...] What I found wonderful was that he went through the company [...] and was somehow positively surprised."
The ZNU-Standard as a credible, externally certified system
The credibility of the ZNU-Standard through external certification, its holistic nature and the inherent improvement process, which requires companies to continuously improve in their key areas, are a clear advantage for both sustainability managers. In particular, the ZNU-Standard stands out from the frequently required reporting standards, such as Ecovadis. They would therefore like it to become even more widely recognised.
"We would like the ZNU-Standard to have even greater reach because it is a standard that is holistic. It is the only holistic standard and it is also certifiable."
Tips for other sustainability managers
1. when publishing sustainability targets, do not forget to also communicate the baseline value and the measures to achieve the targets.
2. it is particularly helpful to exchange information with companies that have already introduced the ZNU-Standard and are further advanced in its implementation. Bauer itself can also be contacted if there are any queries
3. when training colleagues on the various sustainability topics, it is important to present the content in an understandable and practical way. Just because you are deeply involved in the topics yourself and take many things for granted does not mean that it is equally clear to others.
Would you like to find out more?
In this webinar, we will introduce you to the approach of the ZNU-Standard and provide an overview of the most important requirements on the way to certification. You can expect presentations from the ZNU and a practice partner from the ZNU partner network. The video conference will also provide an opportunity to clarify any questions that may arise.
