Sustainability
Sustainability 2023 by EMA’S A/S
EMA’S is a Danish company, specialized in and passionate about exotic fruit and vegetables. We import from Europe and overseas and via EMAS Holland, we arrange supplies to customers all over Europe. EMA´S was founded more than 25 years ago and the passion for exotics keeps being the motivating drive every day.
We work with our suppliers and their families to protect the environment we all live in and keep focus on the small differences we each can contribute with, to work towards a better future.
Our big focus started in 2018 to reduce plastic on our imported products. Our goal for the future is to take this a step further and keep focus on organic packing materials. Next to this we keep working with our long term partners in Europe and overseas, keeping focus on social and environmental certifications and options where we can support and develop with them.
We are focused on packing into recyclable boxes / pallets for our customers. When possible we import our items in bulk units and repack them in recycle boxes in Holland before sending to our customers. We encourage all clients to load full pallets to minimize the CO2 emissions pr bx / pallet during logistics.
EMA’S A/S warehouse in Holland is located in Poeldijk at the ABC Logistics facilities. ABC logistics constantly works to improve and modernize their facilities, so the operations are as energy efficient as possible.
China: We have had a lot of focus since 2018 on our ginger production and import to Europe. We started a project, inspired by one of our customers in April 2018, where we stopped importing ginger in the usual plastic boxes, and converted to shipping loose on racks first but now taken a step further into recyclable cardboard units. Our packing lines in Holland daily repack into recyclable SRS and IFCO boxes.
Our farmer in China have asked their local government for help to develop / improve roads and storage up on the mountains which has been funded for them. The local government also installed solar powered lamps and transportation is now mostly electrical. Our supplier has GlobalG.A.P, Grasp and SMETA social certification.
Thailand: Our first supplier in Thailand ships mix air shipments of vegetables and his family has been with EMA’S for almost 20 years. Their packing station is in Bangkok and the family farm is located in the mountains towards Burma. EMA’S is sending packing materials such as PVC free films from Europe to Thailand to enhance the environmental focus. Our supplier has Global G.A.P and Grasp social certification. Our second supplier is specialized in white Thai pyramid coconuts. These are shipped by sea freight to save Co2. This supplier also has Global G.A.P and Grasp social certification.
Malaysia: We import carambola by air and supplement with smaller exotics. EMA’S has been importing exotics from Malaysia for more than 25 years. EMA’S has a selection of suppliers who work towards the best solutions possible for the environment. When its again possible in the future to get stable and reliable sea freight to Europe, EMA’S will resume import of carambola in sea containers to save Co2. Our suppliers have Global G.A.P, Grasp or SMETA social certification.
Peru: Our supplier in Peru is sending organic and conventional ginger/turmeric in cardboard boxes to us in Europe by sea freight. Upon arrival most of the big cardboard units are repacked into smaller recycle crates for the retail customers. The production is from small controlled family farms who will be supported best possible so they can develop and expand in the future. Our supplier from Peru is certified with GlobalG.A.P, Grasp, Fair for life, SMETA and Organic certifications.
Brazil: We import papaya from Brazil and source Brazilian limes, figs and mangoes from importers in Europe. We have removed plastic netting and fruit stickers from the packing and gone back to natural packing materials. Our suppliers from Brazil have Global G.A.P, Grasp, and Smeta social certification.
South Africa/Zambia/Zimbabwe: Our passionfruit/chili/mangetout/sugarsnaps supplier continues to ship by airfreight to us. Slow sea freight connections will have too much impact on the fruit quality. Our supplier has GlobalG.A.P and SMETA social certification.
USA : Our sweet potato supplier from USA has office and base in Holland also. Containers arrive at EMA’S Holland in big cardboard units which are repacked in smaller boxes/recycle crates for customer and retailers. Sweet potatoes are also received in similar fashion from South Africa, Spain and Egypt.
Other countries used seasonally or when requested by customers are: Israel, Colombia, Egypt, and Ecuador.
Local purchases in Holland:
Chilies: Our main chili supplier in Holland has greenhouses in both Holland and Spain so they are able to supply all year. They grow all types of chilies and have state of the art packing facilities. Production is conventional. Pesticides are avoided in the green houses by using bio protection systems. Our supplier supports social projects for low income groups in the local society.
Lychees: Our supplier of conventional Lychees from Madagascar ships to Europe in December by sea freight. Season is short and volumes are big for Christmas and New Year. Sea shipment save Co2.
Cress is sourced locally from a Dutch grower. This grower has state of the art environmental and Co2 project running and is winning prizes for their ingenuity.
Berries are sourced from Dutch partners. They have growing facilities in Holland which cover production most of the year. Outside this they have suppliers in other European countries and in South America.
Dutch produce: In the main summer production season we source on request various products produced locally for customers.
Exotics from Partners in Europe: To make imports more efficient and easier to optimize in logistics and Co2 savings we have cooperations formed with other importers. This can be for items such as pepino and dried lime leaves. Combining efforts and making shipments bigger and more efficient is a shortcut to save Co2 on the long run.
EMA’S:
Our warehouse in Holland is located at ABC Logistics in Poeldijk. They have focus on energy saving, and recycling of waste and packing materials. New developments are constantly being added to be as efficient as possible.
Office and policy wise we have focus on paper saving, all lighting is LED, saving on electricity when possible and as many other aspects as possible contributing to as much Co2 deduction as possible.
In 2023 EMA’S has invested in a van which is to be used for trips to customers, fairs, and the warehouse facilities in Holland. The van saves Co2 emissions compared to flying.
By the end of 2023 EMA’S will have used the Danish “Klima Kompasset” to define and calculate our Co2 emissions for scope 1 and 2. These numbers will later be uploaded in SBTI for public information. In due time EMA’S will also work on some Co2 saving projects which at a later state will be listed as our scope 3 targets for the future. But, our current focus remains on the efforts we can do right now which have an impact now rather than in 5-10 years.
You are always welcome to visit our home page www.emas.dk where you and the consumers can see and read more about our exotics and the efforts we do regarding sustainability.
You are of course welcome to come back to us if you have questions or need more information.
