Making Spices more sustainable: How AVO-Werke continuously improves the sustainability of its spices.
Almost none of us can avoid AVO-Werke's product range, even if we are mostly unaware of it. As the market leader in Germany and Europe, the processing spices produced by this medium-sized family business can be found in many end products, including snacks, seasoning sauces, meat and sausage products, and vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Three years ago, AVO-Werke obtained ZNU standard certification. Louis Rosenzweig was and remains largely responsible for its implementation. He explains how this came about and why the ZNU standard works so well for him and his team.
Louis Rosenzweig's career at AVO-Werke
For Louis Rosenzweig, the topics of sustainable business practices and AVO-Werke are closely linked. While studying industrial engineering with a focus on food production, he worked for the spice manufacturer. At that time, he was still working in marketing and sales when he was asked, ‘Which topic would you like to cover?’ For Rosenzweig, who had already been confronted with sustainability during his studies, the answer was clear: ‘Preferably sustainability.’
He also found inspiration at the 2023 Climate Summit when he heard Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, a renowned climate researcher, speak. This lecture greatly confirmed Rosenzweig in his path.
‘In 2023, I attended the Environment and Climate Summit in Berlin. Professor Dr. Dr. Schellnhuber gave a really fascinating presentation there – about all the tipping points, the climate elements and how it all actually fits together. That really opened my eyes again and made me feel very validated in this job. Something like that motivates you even more when you have such a big lever in the company.’
First Steps
Rosenzweig now refers to his first sustainability project as ‘naive’. He and his superiors agreed that he would ‘just quickly’ put together the sustainability report. ‘After two or three months, we realised that it was a mammoth task. So we came to the conclusion that I would systematically set up sustainability management and record all the KPIs.’ This is how Louis Rosenzweig came to be involved in sustainability management proper.
‘We approached it very naively and said, “Come on, let's just write a sustainability report as a bachelor's thesis and see what we come up with.”’
Strategically anchoring it in the company – the kick-off for the ZNU standard
One factor in this success was that AVO, as a family-owned company, has short decision-making processes. ‘Even the auditors noted how much decision-making power we have in sustainability management and how quickly projects can be implemented.’
The then managing director Guido Maßmann provided a decisive impetus. He brought the ZNU standard into play and suggested that Rosenzweig take a closer look at this systematic approach. This decision demonstrated both social responsibility and the foresight that requirements would increase at the legal and customer level.
Did Rosenzweig also have questions and doubts about the implementation of the standard? ‘Yes, quite a few, in fact. How could we possibly implement something like this in a reasonable amount of time? How do we even get started?’
Originally, they estimated it would take one and a half to two years. In the end, AVO-Werke managed it in twelve months. This was also made possible by external support: ‘We were well guided by a consultancy firm. That was the be-all and end-all for us.’
‘Our timeline was actually one and a half to two years, but we were able to start the certification process relatively quickly, because this is also a standard that is evolving and where we are evolving.’
The key issues and initial successes
The ZNU standard begins with an analysis of the sustainability issues that are relevant to the company. There were no surprises for the newly formed sustainability team. Climate, procurement, human rights and personnel issues were at the top of the agenda.
‘We have a very exciting product: spices. That's why the focus was particularly on product-related issues.’ Another focus is on the supply chain, which has the greatest impact on sustainability in the case of spices. ‘We have many German and European retailers and are gradually working our way into the chains, analysing the structures and implementing preventive measures. Purchasing is a very important partner for me in this regard.’
Measurable progress has now been made in many areas. For example, water consumption in production has been reduced from 2.1 to 1.8 litres per kilogram, and palm oil consumption has been reduced by 75 per cent in four years. Significant successes are also visible in packaging management: stretch films have become thinner, hood films have been reduced from 100 to 60 micrometres, and many materials have been converted to recyclable monomaterials.
A particularly striking example is the optimisation of so-called salt runs. In the past, large quantities of salt were used to clean production facilities between product changes. Today, around 50% of that amount is sufficient. This saves resources without compromising food safety.
‘We have now implemented the system and are gradually working our way into the supply chain. [...] Purchasing is a very important partner for me in this regard.’
From idea to change – how employees drive the issue forward
At AVO-Werke, a large, cross-departmental sustainability team was established early on. Rosenzweig was careful about who he worked with: ‘I specifically chose people who I felt I could work well with on projects.’
At first, some colleagues were sceptical about sustainability. ‘But because it was clearly established by management, it quickly gained acceptance.’
This led to a suggestion scheme that systematically collects contributions from the workforce and rewards them financially. Although the number of suggestions has declined somewhat recently, says Rosenzweig, ‘but the culture remains. When the idea comes from the people themselves, they are much more committed to it.’
In addition to this bottom-up approach, internal multipliers also play a role. Guido Boberg, Head of Marketing at AVO-Werke, talks about ‘sustainability influencers’ in the company, i.e. employees who are particularly committed and promote the topic visibly or invisibly.
‘The best example in the packaging sector is our packaging buyer, who is working with me to change the packaging piece by piece to more sustainable alternatives. She is showing a great deal of initiative, but so are the employees directly involved in production, who can easily see small processes.’
Communicating sustainability on the market
The development is also having an impact externally. ‘In the German market in particular, many customers are familiar with the ZNU standard, and some are even certified themselves. This is increasingly being taken into account in sustainability assessments.’
Positive feedback has increased significantly over the last three to four years. Rosenzweig would like to see even more recognition for the standard, especially from the retail sector, but also abroad.
Guido Boberg, Head of Marketing, explains why this could be beneficial not only for AVO-Werke. The ZNU standard is like a trump card in presentations with customers. It makes it clear that there is a verifiable system behind the often overused term ‘sustainability’ and shows that AVO-Werke actually implements what it claims to do. Certification means that they cannot afford to be negligent. Sustainability is therefore no longer ‘slide 37 of 38’, but one of the most important issues in customer discussions and tenders.
‘You can really see that awareness has increased, especially in the last three or four years. Large industrial customers also recognise it, and we are on the same level when it comes to communication. That's not a bad thing.’
The ZNU Standard – A System and a Pacemaker for Sustainability
The ZNU standard is important for the system. ‘We can't cheat our way around it. We are required to carry out our analyses at the same time every year – whether it's stakeholder analysis, product screening or opportunity and risk screening. This results in the materiality matrix and our roadmap for the next year.’
This systematic approach not only helps with the implementation of measures, but also with management. ‘Everyone knows the deadlines, everyone has their tasks, and we coordinate regularly. Otherwise, it's easy to take a wrong turn.’
‘The standard is important for the system and for ensuring that we cannot ignore it, but rather that we carry out our various analyses at the same time every year.’
Tips for other sustainability managers
1. The preparatory work is extremely important: which data and facts are used for the analyses and which objectives and measures result from them.
2. Develop long-term goals: These should reflect the key areas and can be broken down into smaller sub-goals. The advantage of this is that you don't have to formulate new goals every year, which may not be sufficiently supported.
3. Transparency and authenticity: When sustainability is truly embraced, it lends depth and speed to its implementation. Open communication is necessary to get everyone on board. Sceptics in particular need motivational and supportive encouragement. They are also best convinced with clear figures and concrete effects.
Would you like to find out more?
In this webinar, we will introduce you to the ZNU Standard approach and provide an overview of the most important requirements on the path to certification. You can expect presentations from the ZNU and a practical partner from the ZNU partner network. The video conference also offers space to clarify any questions that may arise.
