Refresh magazine december 2016 UK

december ‘16
Volume 9 - No.3
Magazine for the fresh produce sector
Merry Christmas
and a healthy
and ‘powerful’ 2017
Energy
Read online: www.aartsenfruit.com

Theme of this Refresh/
Energy
3
11/The 2016 Singelloop
This year's edition was dominated by
the new nonstopfresh campaign.
13/Hassan Benmoussa
Aartsenfruit ambassador for Morocco.
15/Apple of my eye
Meet Hans van Meer, IT manager at Aartsenfruit.
21/Nuon
12 facets of a dynamic sector.
24/Hillenraad100
Aartsenfruit wins the award for top new arrival.
29/Bimi
A promising addition to our wide assortment.
31/Cooking up
Weight consultant Angelique van Oijen on energy.
35/Trip report
Quotes and anecdotes about inspiring trips to Italy, Spain and South Africa!
And more...
09/ Brand story Aartsenfruit
23/ Renovation work: an inside look
25/ Typically Aartsenfruit:
the energy of Aartsenfruit
39/ Fruit Attraction in Madrid
41/ Vacancy
42/ Victoria's stories!
43/ Asia Column: Menno van Breemen
44/ NXT: Breda City!
05/
The
many faces
of energy
What do fruit, houses, seaweed
and dance have in common?
37/
nonstop
to Hong Kong
The 'Non-Stop Fresh' campaign
at Asia Fruit Logistica
11/Singelloop
During the most recent Singel
Run in Breda, AKF designated
as its beneficiary Stichting
Zomerkampen Breda, a charity
that facilitates summer camps for
kids. Various companies helped to
make the effort a success, enabling
us to donate more than 17 camping
tents. On top of a tent, TES very
generously also donated 17 LED
lamps.
19/
Stoere
Traktaties
Aartsenfruit Kids Foundation
teaches kids about fruit and veg
in a fun way
foreword
Aartsenfruit,
naturally
energetic
I've just returned from a short trip to Spain, a trip which was planned at
the last minute. We left early on Monday morning and came home late on
Wednesday evening. In just 2.5 days, we had 14 appointments and drove
over 1,000 km. Together with Richard and Menno, we focused on shaping
the future once again. We set new goals for our markets in the Benelux and
Asia. These things demand a great deal of energy and you feel worn out
when you get home. But it's amazing how days like that also fill you with
energy! Doing things together, making plans together and setting goals
together. It makes your batteries last a very long time.
We (the Aartsenfruit team) all put a huge amount of energy into our work.
Sometimes too much, and we end up having to protect people from
themselves. However, it is this energy which forms the basis of our success.
Although there's nothing wrong with hard work, it's important to do it the
right way. Here too, you must be careful not to waste energy. Put the right
amount of energy into the right things. In practice, many people seem to
have trouble making decisions. We help our staff with the decision-making
process, we talk about it together and they improve as a result. That's a
sustainable approach to energy. It's also important to find the right work-life
balance. If you direct too little energy at either of these aspects, you will
have a problem on your hands.
Doing things which you enjoy and which make you happy always fill you
with energy, both in your personal life and at work. That's why Aartsenfruit
aims to bring a sense of fun to everything it does. This allows us to keep
providing non-stop energy! We also convey this energy to our partners,
wherever in the world they may be. Over the past few days, for example,
we hope to have energised our Spanish partners a little.
Together, we will reap the benefits in the months and years ahead.
Once again, the editors have put a great deal of energy into this edition
of Refresh. We hope you enjoy reading it and that it may fill you with
positive energy!
Enjoy the holidays, and here's to an energetic 2017!
Energetic regards,
Jack Aartsen
4

THE MANY FACES OF ENERGY
WHAT DO FRUIT,
HOUSES, SEAWEED
AND DANCE HAVE
IN COMMON?
Energy is something which we almost take for granted. We need it, we give it, we share it. The theme of ‘energy’
offers countless points of departure. Positive and negative energy. Energy fields. Fossil fuels. Green and sustainable.
Energy flows. Will there be a shortage? One thing is certain, there will never be a lack of human energy.
Just like Aartsenfruit, Refresh provides nonstopenergy. This article leaps from spectacular vehicles, seaweed,
cow manure and energy-neutral buildings to dance, sleep and fruit. They all have one thing in common: energy.
Energy and food
How do I get energy?
Energy and food
Food is fuel for your body. We've all heard this before, but we have listed a few things which you
should bear in mind. Lots of people skip breakfast, for example, but it's better not to do that.
When you eat breakfast, your digestion and therefore your body get into gear. This gives you
the energy you need to get things done. Without breakfast, your body will also be deficient in
all kinds of nutrients.
You can maintain your energy levels throughout the day by enjoying 3 or 4 healthy snacks,
such as fruit, muesli or nuts. People often feel the need for sugar. And that's logical: it tastes
good and gives you an immediate energy boost. That boost doesn't last long, however.
Your blood sugar rises and your body tries to balance it out, consuming energy as a result.
This energy is then lost and can no longer be used for other things (such as work, study and
exercise) which require energy.
In order to stay properly hydrated, drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day. If you don't drink enough
water, you may suffer from headaches, dehydration and fatigue. Not to mention thirst, of course.
Fluids help carry off waste products and help your digestive system to perform at its best.
Take time to eat and to prepare your food. You will enjoy it more as a result and will also absorb
more nutrients which give you energy.
Uri Eugenio
How much energy do you get from fruit?
Who is Uri Eugenio?
FRUIT - INFOGRAPHIC
URI
EUGENIO
& DANCE
Saying that fruit is healthy and delicious is nothing new. Everyone agrees on that.
This infographic shows you how much energy (in kcal.) you will get from 100 grams of fruit.
kcal. per 100 grams
kcal. per 100 grams
The model on the cover of this edition of Refresh is
Uri Eugenio. He is a Dutch dancer and dance teacher.
Uri dances with the Leineroebana dance company, which
has been internationally successful for over 25 years.
The company always aims to achieve close collaboration
with musicians and composers. In turn, this has led to
many international awards for modern dance.
Uri has various productions under his belt and has also
worked on several TV shows. To perform like Uri Eugenio,
it goes without saying that you need energy. A single
performance or training session can easily consume
800 calories. However, we shouldn't forget that watching
and enjoying this kind of performance also generates a
great deal of energy. Not just for the dancer, but also for
the spectators. The audience and admirers can recharge
their batteries, relax and get inspired. It's all energy!
5
6

Which good habits will give you more energy?
Good habits to provide more energy
We all know that food and drink give you energy.
However, you can also get energy from things which have
nothing to do with food or drink. Important things, but things
which are easy to do.
Good habits to provide more energy
Sleep gives you energy. Everyone is different, but people
need an average of 7 to 8 hours every night. Routine also plays
an important role here. If you go to bed at the same time every
night, your body will have time to relax. You should also make
sure that you don't sleep for too long and that your bedroom
is well ventilated. An hour before you go to bed, it's best to
stop using your smartphone and iPad. Your brain needs to
relax before you go to sleep. And when the alarm clock goes
off, it's best to get up right away. Of course you're nice and
warm and it's very tempting to keep hitting the snooze button,
but that would disrupt your natural rhythm, which actually
drains energy.
After work, it's very tempting to sit in a comfy chair looking at
your iPad or watching TV, but it's better to get some exercise.
This gives you energy, as exercise produces endorphins in your
body which make you feel great and therefore increase your
energy levels.
People often have more energy in the summer because of
the light and the sun. So when the sun is shining in the winter,
make sure you spend time outside. This makes your body
produce serotonin, which doesn't just give you more energy
but also makes you feel upbeat and happy. People with
contagious enthusiasm will do the same, unlike people who
suck all the energy out of you. So make sure you spend time
with people who are lively, stimulating and fill you with energy.
What is the World Solar Challenge?
World Solar Challenge and traffic regulations
Since 1987, Australia has hosted the World Solar Challenge every two years.
This is a competition for vehicles which are powered by solar energy.
Participants must travel between Darwin and Adelaide as quickly as possible:
a distance of 3022 kilometres, right across the continent.
The sun is an unbelievably powerful source of energy. It provides enough
energy in just 8 minutes to supply our planet’s energy needs for an entire year.
The race is all about nature, movement and innovation. In order to challenge
the participants to push the boundaries, the rules are constantly being
tightened up. The dimensions of the vehicle are limited to 4.5 x 1.8 metres,
the driver must sit virtually upright, the solar panels may not cover an area of
more than 6 m 2 and the vehicles must have 4 wheels. What's more, the
participants must also comply with normal traffic regulations.
It's a fantastic testing ground for universities and students. Of course it's
winning that counts, but scientists and engineers are always looking for
insights and innovations which will help car technology on its way.
There was another edition of the challenge in October 2015.
In the cruiser class, the winner was once again Solar Team Eindhoven's
Stella Luxfrom Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.
In the challenger class, the team from Delft University of Technology
retained the titlee with Nuna 8.
Van Gogh cycle path Daan Roosegaarde
Latest energy-generating innovations
How can we keep our energy bills as low as possible?
Sustainable, green and creative
• The weather is almost always good in the desert in southern
Morocco, with very little wind. The sky is extremely clear,
which is great for generating solar energy. It's no wonder
then, that the largest solar energy park in the world is being
built there. Currently, it has half a million panels. When the
project is complete, about 15 years from now, Morocco will
be able to generate over 50% of its electricity sustainably.
Of course, that's partly thanks to the largest wind farm of
Africa that is situated in the southern Moroccan Tarfaya state.
• In the construction world, people are constantly innovating
in order to build sustainable houses and offices.
Amsterdam has The Edge, for example, which is the most
sustainable office building in the world. A few highlights:
it makes optimal use of the sun (heat and daylight), solar energy
is used to charge up the thermal storage system, smartphones,
laptops and electric cars, people in The Edge can use an app
to optimise the lighting and climate control in the workplace
and the building has a healthy indoor environment.
• Artist and free thinker Daan Roosegaarde has design studios
in the Netherlands and Shanghai. His creativity has produced
a cycle path which is illuminated by thousands of glowing
stones and the Windlicht project, which makes windmills
more attractive by connecting the blades to lines of green
light. He has also developed a sustainable dance floor which
generates energy when people at the club dance on it.
The club can use this energy to power the lighting system.
• They aren't in production yet, but a great deal of progress
is being made on roof tiles with built-in solar panels.
Inventor and Tesla director Elon Musk is sticking his head
above the parapet again. Although the roof tiles are made
of glass, they are very robust and have a solar foil which
is finished with plastic louvres to make them look like
normal tiles.
Seaweed and cow manure
The world is full of energy-related innovations and new opportunities.
New inventions are constantly being presented as the greatest thing since
sliced bread. Sometimes they include some very surprising ideas.
We noticed two energy-related innovations which could be considered
remarkable, to say the least: seaweed and cow manure.
We already know that you can eat seaweed, but it is potentially also a
significant source of energy. In fact, seaweed could be the ideal raw material
for biofuel. If the harvest can be increased and simplified, that is. In view of
the huge volume of water on the planet, this should be possible. Research has
shown that seaweed can produce twice as much ethanol as sugarcane and five
times as much as maize. Ethanol is a fuel which is incorporated into petrol.
And what about cow manure? There are installations which can ferment manure
and transform it into biogas. It means that a farmer could use the dung from his
own cows to generate sustainable energy. It works like this: the manure is
collected from the barns and transported to a digester. It is then heated with
water and the resulting biogas is collected in a silo. The gas then powers a
biogas generator. It might sound futuristic but it is already working in practice.
Although manure fermentation plants are still in their infancy, they sound
promising.
7 8

is de enige echte
en we zelfs een
Heilaar-Noordweg 9
4814 RR Breda, Nederland
inistratie
ijpen waar vers
p de plaats van
ile for
uit and vegetables.
aartsenfruit.com
Our new
On our buildings
Breda, Venlo, St. Katelijne - Waver, Hong Kong
corporate identity
is landing in more
fresh aartsenfruit.com fruit and vegetables.
Jack Aartsen
aartsenfruit.com
We go the extra mile for
Go to aartsenfruit.com/career-opp
nd more places.
At trade fairs
On your desk
On the internet
A new corporate identity and campaign need a little time to land. With so many different
At the trade fair
business locations’ and items, it will take a while to implement them everywhere. But these
days our corporate identity is landing in more and more places, both inside and outside
On cars
our organisation. Increasing numbers of items are Nonstopfresh. Not just in Breda, but
also in Venlo, Belgium and Hong Kong. Thanks to our new site, our new campaign is even
landing in some of the most remote places in the world. As you know, once things land,
they can also take off again. And that means Aartsenfruit is ready for take-off!
9 10

Did you see
aartsenfruit
flying by?
For many years, Aartsenfruit has been the main sponsor of
the Aartsenfruit 10 km run during the Singelloop running
event in Breda. This year’s edition was dominated by the
new Nonstopfresh campaign. The runners and crowds in
the Halstraat could not have failed to notice Aartsenfruit,
which also had a prominent presence on the Markt. For the
occasion, the Dickens & Jones restaurant was rechristened
the Aartsenfruit Skylounge. All the communication for the
event, from the invitations to the signboards, also featured
the new Nonstopfresh campaign. This included the
boarding passes and check-ins for the runners.
The Singelloop campaign really took off when the
numerous runners came flying by (full of energy!) in their
new Aartsenfruit shirts. Or as it said on their shirts: a highspeed
fly-by. It was a wonderful day which also simply
flew by. That’s why this Refresh features another brief recap
of the Singelloop.
11
12

Hassan Benmoussa:
for Aartsenfruit
From intermediary to friend
Born and raised in Morocco, Hassan Benmoussa has been making his
home in Paris for many years now. The relationship between Hassan and
Aartsenfruit goes way back too. ‘In the early eighties I was the Moroccan
marketing manager for fruit and vegetable exports to Europe, which was
government-controlled in those days, like all exports. That was when I first
got acquainted with Aartsenfruit. In 1987, Morocco switched to a free
export trade market. It was after this that I became an intermediary
between Aartsenfruit and Moroccan growers. Over the years, my activities
for Aartsenfruit intensified, and our relationship evolved too. Jack Aartsen
and I have become friends’, recalls the amiable Benmoussa.
inMorocco
This autumn, Aart Bezemer and
Hassan Benmoussa took a trip to
Morocco together to visit existing
partners and get better acquainted
with new prospects.
While Aart is a familiar face to many,
Hassan has a less prominent position,
working more in the background.
He is, in the words of Jack Aartsen,
Aartsenfruit’s ambassador to Morocco.
Pillars of business success
Described by Jack Aartsen as an ambassador for Aartsenfruit, Hassan Benmoussa
considers it an honour to represent the company. And a big responsibility as
well. ‘I have to know a great deal about the company and the market and
to share that knowledge with growers in Morocco. I explain the strategy,
aims, organisational culture and working methods to them, which, given
the cultural differences, is not always easy. An ambassador has to be a
diplomat, and that suits my activities and personality. My job is about
more than phone calls and emails, money transfers and quality reports –
the crux is relationships and trust; those are the pillars of business success,
and they need time to grow.’
Hassan Benmoussa and Lag Zouli
‘It’s not the differences,
but the similarities that are
important.’
Typically Moroccan
‘I work from Paris, not only because it’s centrally located, but also because
it’s a city that Moroccans love to visit, so I can meet with lots of customers
here. I stay involved, talking with them, listening, and making sure to stay
well informed. That’s crucial, because growers want to know all the ins and
outs of the market, and of course Aartsenfruit likewise wants to know how
things operate in Morocco. Recently, Aart and I took a trip to Morocco
together. We go over regularly in order to cement relationships. That’s our
objective, not volumes. Our first concern is the relationship, because both
parties have to be happy, since the quality of the products is at stake.
Competitors tend to want large quantities, but our approach is different,
and sometimes that’s an adjustment for Moroccan growers. We have to
take the time to explain it to them. One thing we’ve noticed during our
trips is that we always get a warm welcome. That’s typical for Moroccans,
to be friendly and want to be a good host. Growers invite us into their
homes, even when there’s not a business deal in the offing.’
Different customs
Mediterranean countries require special handling and patience,
explains Benmoussa. ‘Europeans often have trouble being
patient. Cultural differences are a fact and you need time
to get used to each other. There are big differences
between the Netherlands and Morocco.
Everything is different, in fact: the climate, the
religion, politics and the general mentality.
It’s not the differences, however,
Hassan Benmoussa
but the similarities that are
important. If you make the effort
to understand each other, you won’t
have any difficulties. And if the Dutch can
exercise patience, doing business is no problem
at all.’
Business faux pas
‘When we go to visit companies in Morocco, we
don’t need to schedule meetings with existing relations.
That can feel strange for Dutch people because they like to have
firm appointments in their diaries. But Moroccans don’t work that way.
We’re always welcome to drop by or call from the airport. Time has a
different meaning there. One of biggest faux pas that Europeans can make
when doing business in Morocco is to get hung up on the time. You have
to demonstrate to your partner that you’re willing to make as much time for
them as needed. It’s rude to say that you’ve only got one hour free for an
appointment. It can ruin your chances of making a deal at all. Also, it’s tricky
to turn down an invitation, especially if you’re asked to someone’s house for
a meal. People won’t understand. The same with the idea of Sundays being
a family day or day off, for Moroccans, those are days like any other.’
Don’t wait for lighting to strike
Hassan Benmoussa sees a bright future ahead. ‘You always have to seek out
new horizons, to keep pushing forward. Never be satisfied. Morocco still
offers countless opportunities in terms of regions, products and growers.
But don’t sit around waiting for lighting to strike; if you want something,
you have to go after it. In time, we are looking to import a succession of
new products from Morocco. Currently, the focus is on citrus and tomatoes,
but we recently also added watermelons to the Moroccan range.
The country is developing at a lighting pace and that opens up opportunities
for us and for Moroccan growers.’ Benmoussa sees lots of opportunities
for Moroccan products in the Benelux. But there is work ahead too, in
areas such as product development and new packaging design.
Many Moroccan companies have started exporting more products to Russian
and the United States, shifting some of their attention away from Europe.
In short, there is plenty of ground to be gained for Moroccan products.
Proud of Aartsenfruit
Although he works from Paris, Hassan makes it clear that he really feels
part of the company. ‘I have a strong commitment to Aartsenfruit and
represent them exclusively. I am proud of everything we’re achieving.
I’ve known the company for so many years and I foresee great developments
and opportunities just around the corner.’
13 14
Aart Bezemer and Hassan Benmoussa

Hans van Meer,
go ahead and
introduce yourself.
Well, I’m 37 years old and live in Etten-Leur.
So who are the people
that are making
Aartsenfruit a success?
Apple of
my eye
Refresh gives
you the opportunity
to learn all about
Hans
van Meer
You’re an IT manager. Tell us a little bit more about IT and Aartsenfruit.
As Aartsenfruit grows it also means IT is becoming more important. I’ve been
working here for about two years now. I started by doing a thorough review
of the IT systems we already had in place, and then drew up an action plan
enabling us to make use of IT more effectively. Rome wasn’t built in a day,
but we’re making huge strides forward. In addition, there are also some issues
that require a solution straight away. Of course, it’s all about networks, computers
and software, and IT helps to ensure continuity, data availability and data security.
What makes this work so much fun for you?
Aartsenfruit gives me the opportunity to be proactive and solve issues myself.
Having direct contact with users is fun too. I’m working both on today and on
the longer term. I play a key role when it comes to the overall IT setup in the
company, which is very interesting, as are the various innovation projects that
are under way. Of course, I’m first and foremost a technician: I come from a
technical background and I know what is practically feasible. It gives me energy
to get things done. But I’m not doing it all by myself. It’s also fun to pass on
knowledge and see how colleagues constantly grow and learn. IT can really
make a difference, and that makes working in this field an exciting challenge.
15
16

What gives
you a lot of energy?
When you get home in the evening, of course
you want to kick back and do things that don’t take
any energy – although of course there are always chores
to be done. I mainly try to do fun things and savour the
special times. That’s what gives me energy.
What does the future of IT within Aartsenfruit
look like? We currently play a facilitating role:
we support the company’s day-to-day activities.
But we want to do even more, provide more added
value and structural innovations. The developments
in the IT department are fast-moving. We’re hard
at work putting innovations into place. A new
physical IT structure underpins all this. The next
step is the applications, i.e. the practical services
available to users. We want to update and expand
functionality. One of our key principles is to digitise
as much as possible, so that we can have a far
clearer picture of what’s going on for ourselves and
our distributors, enabling us to serve our
customers even better. These are major projects
involving substantial changes, which will require
a lot from all of Aartsenfruit’s employees.
Changes are also under way internally.
For example, we want to use an app to give
employees more insight into their working hours,
days off, and so on.
What degree programme did you do,
and where did you work before joining
Aartsenfruit? I studied Telecommunications
and IT & Management, after which I worked
for a range of different employers.
Before joining Aartsenfruit, I spent almost
a decade working for PharmaPartners, an
organisation that develops information systems
predominantly for general practitioners and
pharmacies, not locally for individual doctor’s
practices and pharmacies, but at the overall level.
As a child, what did you want to be when
you grew up? I’ve always been interested in
computers and telecommunications. I always
wanted to know all about all that, but I never
expected that’s what I’d end up doing for a
living too.
What are your hobbies? I like to be active
and keep fit: I go to the gym and I cycle, and I’m
kind of fanatical about it. I used to play a lot of
chess, who knows, I may get back into that at
some point. I also like meeting up with friends
for dinner or a quick beer at the pub, and I love
to cook. I’ve also become quite keen on travel.
I love having the opportunity to just get away
from everything for a while. I like to go on city
breaks to all sorts of different places, but one
place I keep going back to is the Canary Islands,
Gran Canaria in particular. I must have been there
about thirty times by now. It’s a stunning place
with a great climate and it’s not that far from
home. I’ve got several friends who live there.
It’s a place where I can really relax. It probably
won’t surprise you that I’m thinking about
learning Spanish!
The theme of this issue of Refresh is
energy. What comes to mind when you
hear the word energy? When I think about
energy, I think about it in the context of IT.
Automation uses a lot of energy. When making
new purchases, I’m also mindful of energy
usage. It’s not the most important aspect,
but it is a factor. For example, when we were
buying new monitors we also looked at energy
efficiency.
What costs you a lot of energy? My mother
became seriously ill this spring. But we believe
that she’s escaped by the skin of her teeth.
Things are looking better now, and she really
seems to have turned a corner recently.
All this has not only cost her a lot of energy,
but my father, brothers, sister and me too.
It’s been a very taxing time, but we’re trying
to focus on the future now.
Name one thing that can make your life
more enjoyable. I’ve never really thought
about it consciously before, but I’ve come to
realise good health is very important.
So yes, one of the things that make my life
more enjoyable is having a healthy mother!
Who would you like to go out for a meal
with? Elon Musk, the co-founder of Tesla.
He’s someone who is creative and open-minded
and thinks out of the box. People like Musk
and Steve Jobs are a huge inspiration to me.
These are people who believe in their ideas
and are not afraid to be trailblazers.
I’ve also spent the last five years adopting
new approaches, technologies and ways of
thinking. If you dare to embrace new developments
and strike the right balance in the
process, you really can make a difference.
That’s what I want to do at Aartsenfruit too.
What talent do you wish you had? As you
get older, you accept more and more about
yourself. You know what you’re good at and
what you may be less good at. So I don’t
necessarily wish for any more skills in addition
to the ones I already have.
What is your worst habit? I tend to set the
bar very high. That can be tricky for me, but
also for other people at times. But it does
mean that I always go with the best solution
available.
What is your greatest fear?
Losing loved ones.
Name one temptation you are unable to
resist. Good food. If I’m having a tasty meal
with friends, I take no notice whatsoever of
how healthy the food is or how much I’m eating.
I’m a real epicurean in that way, it’s something I
enjoy tremendously.
If you could change one thing about
yourself, what would it be? Maybe getting
rid of my fear of heights.
What would you like to change about the
world? I’d like to see a more honest world in
which people speak their minds and act with
integrity.
Do you have a personal motto? If so, what
is it? It’s not a motto as such, but it’s important
to me that I stay true to myself. That means
working hard, deriving energy from that and
maintaining a good work-life balance.
17 18

Hellen
Annick
Fun for every
child!
There's no need for healthy treats in the classroom to be boring.
In fact, they can be extremely cool. The Aartsenfruit Kids
Foundation (AKF) is giving primary schools the opportunity
to teach children about fruit and vegetables through play.
After that, things tend to take care of themselves!
The Fruit Gang
Hellen and Annick spent years researching in preparation for the
project. For example, they held talks with doctors, scientists and
teaching staff. They also visited companies, organisations and
conferences. The end result was the 'Stoere Traktaties' project
which is aimed at children in primary education. The participating
classes are each given a large, cool chest full of stories, taste
experiences and games. The chest is brought to life each time
by the accompanying videos which show ‘The Fruit Gang’
(five characters thought up by AKF) having some wonderful
adventures. These adventures tie in seamlessly with the five
lesson modules. Fun is guaranteed for every child!
Pomegranates are cool
Each lesson module covers a different subject. The project starts
with the ‘Who am I?’ card game which introduces the children to the
various kinds of fruit and vegetables. During the second lesson they
explore the different varieties of fruit and vegetables, such as stone
fruit, soft fruit and exotic fruit. In the next lesson, the children go on
a trip around the world. This allows them to discover where the fruit
grows and how it ends up in our fruit bowls. The fourth lesson is a
taste experience, in which the children are introduced to the various
kinds of fruit and vegetables by tasting them. Finally, in lesson five,
they get to make their own cool treats. ‘The children really enjoy
doing this. It's great to see. Above all, they are fascinated by
pomegranates’, says Hellen, looking back at a visit to a participating
class. ‘Now you can see that the children have a positive experience
of fruit and vegetables’, adds Annick.
Ambitions
As soon as the children are enthusiastic about the project,
the teachers can decide whether they wish to dig deeper into
specific subjects. The lesson modules are designed to benefit
all kinds of schools. If a school is already focusing on healthy
food, this project will enhance the effect. It also gives other
schools an opportunity to teach the children about fruit and
vegetables in a playful way. Currently, the module is only aimed
at children in groups four and five (ages 7 and 8). AKF would
ultimately like to develop modules for all primary school classes.
Conscious
choices
During the various AKF projects, board members Hellen Aartsen
and Annick Bezemer noticed that children generally don't know
much about food and nutrition. From their own experience, they
know how important it is to have the ability to make conscious
choices. AKF therefore aims to give children the right to know the
importance of good food and a healthy lifestyle. For this reason,
the foundation set up the ‘Stoere Traktaties’ (Cool Treats) project.
The aim is to teach children, through play, how fruit and
vegetables can benefit them, allowing them to make their own
conscious choices.
Would you like to find out more about the ‘Stoere Traktaties’
project by the Aartsenfruit Kids Foundation?
If so, visit the website stoeretraktaties.nl.
‘And at the moment we are only focusing on schools in the
Breda region, but our aim is to expand the project to schools
across the whole of the Netherlands’, says Hellen.
Children are the future
But before that happens, AKF first wishes to establish a good
foundation. For this reason, the foundation asked various classes
to test the module. The teaching staff provided feedback which is
now being incorporated into the materials. For the foundation, this
is not a short-term project. AKF will continue to respond to current
trends and the development of children. The foundation is aware
that there is still a long way to go. Hellen: ‘But after all, these
children are the adults of the future.’
Sophie Bruijns a Nutrition and Dietetics student at
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and
an intern at the Aartsenfruit Kids Foundation:
‘My degree programme focuses on promoting
health. As an intern at the Aartsenfruit Kids
Foundation, that's what I'm concentrating
on at the moment. Through play, the ‘Stoere
Traktaties’ project shows the children how food
affects them. My aim is to ensure that food and
nutrition are taught at primary school. I think
they're just as important as maths and writing.
This project ties in nicely with that.’
Sven van Gerven group 4 teacher at
De Zonzeel primary school in Terheijden and
participant in the Stoere Traktaties pilot:
‘The children really like the project. In particular,
they find the videos hilarious. Sometimes I will
dig deeper into a subject myself, for example by
pointing out the country which the fruit comes
from on a map of the world. The children also
learn how fruit grows and all the different kinds
which are available. I can see the difference in
their lunch boxes, which contain cucumber, cherry
tomatoes and other types of fruit and vegetables
these days. And when it comes to their treats,
these days I just tend to see fruit too. I would
advise every school to take part in the project
as it really does provide added value for the
children's development.’
Sophie
Sven
19 20

12
FACETS
OF A
DYNAMIC
SECTOR
ENERGY IS ON THE MOVE
We wanted to shine a light on various aspects of energy
in the form of electricity and heating. So who better
to approach than Martijn Hagens, COO of energy company
Nuon? He gave us some new insights into sustainable
energy and the future.
1. TIMES OF CHANGE
On the social agenda, energy is an extremely relevant sector.
It is an important focus of attention and is undergoing a drastic
change. We are coming from a situation in which energy was
generated from fossil fuels, which is a situation we would like to
move away from. As a company, we are investing significant sums
in new technologies such as wind energy, solar energy, batteries
and heat storage. While the transition cannot be achieved in just
a few years, it is irreversible. In addition, consumers are exerting
an increasing influence on the product which they buy.
2. OVER 1000 TURBINES
We want to be the first energy company which operates in an
entirely CO 2 neutral way. That's quite an ambition, but we have
already taken major steps in this direction. For example, we are
one of the largest operators of offshore wind farms in the world:
we already have over 1000 turbines. This is only the beginning,
as we feel that these wind farms are essential if we are to
become CO 2 neutral.
3. EACH TO THEIR
OWN ENERGY
A current trend is for consumers to get
the kind of energy which they prefer.
For example, there are people who want
solar panels on their roof and are also keen
to sell the surplus energy. However, other
people would like clean energy but want
us to sort it all out for them. There are also
many other variants. Energy companies
want to provide lots of different options.
This is why we have set up a new brand
called Powerpeers, a marketplace that
allows people to sell green energy they
have generated themselves. As a consumer,
you could sell the energy generated by
your own solar panels to your neighbour,
for example. Nuon is facilitating this and
ensuring that customers can always fall
back on Nuon's energy when required.
4. SELF-SUFFICIENT
CONSUMERS?
Coal-fired power stations are still very
important when it comes to the provision
of energy. In the future, a growing proportion
of the energy will come from large wind
farms and solar parks and some will come
from self-generated energy such as solar
panels and heat pumps. Not all consumers
will have access to the same solutions.
For example, if you live in an apartment
you can't have individual solar panels.
Centralised heat storage will also play an
increasingly important role. This involves
huge storage tanks in which the surplus
energy generated by a wind farm, for
example, can be converted into heat and
stored until it is required. In the longer
term, decentralised storage in homes
could take place using batteries. We don't
think that everyone could be completely
self-sufficient, but we do believe in climate
neutrality through a combination of means.
5. COAL STILL ON THE CARDS
Coal-fired power stations are still being
built and used. We would rather not do
this, but fossil fuels are simply still
required at this point in order to satisfy
our joint energy requirements. It is no
longer a question of whether coal-fired
power stations will close, however, but when.
6. COMPANIES AND
TRANSPORT
Industrial production processes require a
great deal of energy. As such, the industrial
transition process will take longer than
consumer transition will. It is a huge
challenge to achieve energy neutrality in
the mining and steel sectors. Savings are
already being made in these sectors but
the transition from one fuel to another has
yet to happen. A lot of heat is required in
the steel industry. In the future, this should
be provided electrically. A great deal of
effort is being directed at innovations, but
so far there hasn't been a breakthrough.
On a smaller scale, in homes, we've
already got it down to a fine art, allowing
us to heat houses with heat pumps which
only need electricity, for instance.
The transport sector is another huge
challenge. This sector is more polluting
than consumers: it generates more CO 2
emissions than domestic electricity.
7. VOLVO PLUG-IN HYBRID
Electric cars are gradually becoming
more popular. Nuon is making significant
investments in charging stations for
electric cars. However, it is impossible for
energy companies to develop everything
and resolve all the issues themselves.
Partnerships and cross-pollinations are
therefore being established in order to
accelerate the sustainability process.
For example, Vattenfall is collaborating
with Volvo. They joined forces to develop
the Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid.
These innovations could encourage other
organisations and companies within the
mobility sector to come up with new
innovations of their own.
8. SILICON VALLEY
Data is becoming increasingly important
in energy provision. Solar energy and
wind energy are not always available in
the required quantities. In this case, you
need smart systems to distribute the
energy. These systems are fed by data
that predicts energy consumption.
Sustainable energy is being stored in
numerous locations (e.g. centralised
heat storage, houses, cars with batteries,
battery parks). The correct and up-to-theminute
data makes it possible to optimise
the system and guarantee proper supply.
Together with large tech companies from
Silicon Valley, a great deal of effort is
going into smart data technology to
optimise the system.
9. MISCONCEPTION ABOUT
FOSSIL FUELS
A reasonably common misconception is
that the supply of oil and coal will dry up
over the next 20 years. In reality, we will
still be able to call upon fossil fuels (and
certainly coal) for hundreds of years.
Scarcity and exhaustibility should therefore
not be driving innovation. It should be all
about increasing sustainability.
That should be the motivating factor.
10. SUBSIDIES AND ENERGY
Energy prices are quite low at the moment
as the European energy market is struggling
to cope with overcapacity. A consequence
of the low energy prices is that investments
in coal-fired power stations, nuclear power
stations and wind farms are impossible or
difficult to recoup. Every form of energy
now requires subsidies. Wind energy would
only be profitable without subsidies if we
still had the high energy prices of 10 years
ago. The constant developments are
making sustainable energy increasingly
competitive: there is a lot of competition
and the price is falling. In turn, this
accelerates the growth of sustainable
energy. The cost price of solar parks and
wind farms is already halving every few
years. Subsidies are still often required for
clean energy these days, but the amounts
available are decreasing. Privately owned
solar panels already have a clear payback
period. Individuals may therefore have two
motivating factors: sustainability and money.
11. SUSTAINABILITY FROM
AN INTERNATIONAL
PERSPECTIVE
Non-Western countries often lack an
energy infrastructure. That has long been
quite difficult, but now it's actually
creating opportunities. These countries
have the opportunity to take the right
path, the sustainable path, from the start.
The West has a moral obligation to invest
in the technological developments.
Large-scale investments have made it
profitable for Morocco to build the largest
solar park in the world, for example.
Once the transition gets going, things
will happen faster and faster.
12. DRIVING FORCE BEHIND
SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS
From an international perspective,
sustainability will play an increasingly
important role. However, things are not
the same everywhere. In China and India,
sustainability is increasingly driven by the
fact that cities are becoming unlivable as
a result of pollution. The Chinese are
building wind farms at a record pace as
they want to keep their cities livable.
But irrespective of the driving force, the
effect is the same: increased sustainability.
HIGH-ENERGY
MARTIJN HAGENS
Martijn Hagens has two roles. In the
Netherlands, he is on Nuon's board
of directors and is also the director
of operations. He is responsible for
power stations, customer service
and sales. Within Nuon's parent
company, Vattenfall, Martijn Hagens
is responsible for the service activities
for the 7 million international
customers, all the international sales
activities and product development.
When he's not working, he likes to
make music. According to Hagens, it
always helps if you have several things
in your life to focus on at once.
For him, making music and performing
are both energising and relaxing.
In a previous life, he played in the band
Rosemary’s Sons. They had a record
deal and performed all over the place.
Hagens is still making music, but not
so intensively these days.
ABOUT NUON
Nuon, part of Swedish company
Vattenfall, is an energy company with
around 4,400 staff and approximately
2 million customers in the
Netherlands. Vattenfall also operates
in Denmark, Germany, Finland,
Belgium and France. The Swedish
word ‘vattenfall’ means waterfall.
21
22

MARVELLOUS RECOGNITION
Aartsenfruit
top new arrival
in Hillenraad100
AMBITIOUS BUILDING PLANS
Creating
room for
improvement
During the recent Hortigala, held on 28 October in Rotterdam,
the names in the Hillenraad100 were announced. This annual
ranking of the 100 most prominent companies in the Dutch
horticulture industry has been the monitor of Dutch sector
developments going back to 2003. But besides monitoring trends,
the Hillenraad100 also offers perspective and prognoses. Every
year, it ranks the top 100 companies in the sector. With fewer
than 1% of companies in Dutch horticultural claiming a coveted
spot, inclusion is an extremely exclusive honour. This year,
Aartsenfruit was the top-ranking new name on the list, coming in
at number 62. 'It's a marvellous honour', enthused Jack Aartsen.
'This top-ranking new arrival on the list clearly has the
best tagline: "Where freshness is concerned,
Aartsenfruit is the freshest of them all".
... And it's true: Aartsenfruit tops them all when it comes
to service, quality and customer satisfaction.
It took a while, but here you are: a wonderful new
acquisition for this list.'
© Hillenraad100
TOUGH ASSESSMENT
The list is compiled by the Hillenraad100 research team, which
analyses candidates performance using its own unique business
model and with assistance from a committee of experts. The
Hillenraad100 assesses companies on the basis of strategy, market
position, organisational performance, innovation and corporate
social responsibility, totalling 19 enterprise factors in all. The result is
a well-balanced list of top performers sure to fire the imagination.
CELEBRATING IN STYLE
Hortigala 2016 was a beautifully organised and stylish gala. And it
came as a complete surprise when Jack Aartsen was invited onto the
event stage, where he was honoured with the award for the highestranking
newcomer. It is a major achievement for the company too.
'Aartsenfruit is working to promote itself in all sorts of ways. Our
magazine, Refresh, is one of the spearheads of this effort, alongside
the Nonstopfresh campaign launched earlier this year. It's crucial for
us to be visible as a company. Our ranking in the Hillenraad100
creates an additional impetus for the Aartsenfruit brand and once
more proves that we are a strong partner and attractive employer.'
Growth is never our ambition at Aartsenfruit. Aiming to
be the best is what it's all about, but perhaps this explains
Aartsenfruit's constant growth. In order to improve still
further, we need more space.
We can't reveal too much at the moment, but we can
already lift a tip of the veil. We are currently applying the
finishing touches to our ambitious building plans for the
head office in Breda. It's quite a task to come up with
the ideal design and interior. To do so, we are working
with architect Pascal Grosfeld and interior architect Jan
Geysen. They have worked together previously and form
a promising combination.
We aim to start implementing our plans in the first quarter
of 2017. An update will be provided in the next Refresh.
23
© Hillenraad100
24

What is typically Aartsenfruit? How does Aartsenfruit set
itself apart? In the recurring feature ‘Typically Aartsenfruit’,
we look more closely at the company’s qualities and
distinctiveness. In previous articles, we discussed quality
monitoring, talent development, speed, brand policy
and the broad product range. This time we’re looking
at things from a different angle, and zoning in on
the energy of the company.
aartsenfruit
THAT ISTYPICALLY
THIS TIME AROUND: • OUR ENERGY•
‘Aartsenfruit has a
rock-solid reputation and
image. That is the sum total
of the way the company
presents itself in its own
surroundings, at trade
fairs and online.’
25
26

Winning team
As an employer, you can put together a good
team. But there’s more to it than that: people get
energy from being part of the winning team.
It’s important for the employer to create the
conditions that enable people to perform to the
best of their abilities. There are a lot of factors
that can’t be controlled, but an inspiring, clean
working environment, well-presented products,
an accurate administration, functional
automation, good information and clean lorries
can make a real difference. It’s in all those
details! Aartsenfruit is very much aware of this,
and is convinced that those are the things that
motivate and inspire employees.
Wanting to be the best
Energy starts with the people at Aartsenfruit.
It starts with the right character and mentality.
Aartsenfruit is convinced that it can teach its
employees a great deal about fruit and
vegetables, commercial matters, logistics,
languages and administration, but only if the
employees have sufficient energy and drive.
The management requires character,
enthusiasm and charisma, and likes people
who are keen to roll up their sleeves. To be able
to devote energy to what you do, you need to
be passionate about your work.
Everyone, irrespective of their position within
the company, needs to have the vitality and
drive to strive to be the best – every day,
in everything they do.
Committed and strong
At Aartsenfruit, nothing has been laid down on paper about the
way people should interact with colleagues, partners and
customers – nor about how the sense of energy within the
company should be conveyed. That’s all about selection policy,
team spirit and company culture. New colleagues are included in
the team and learn from each other. That’s only possible if the team
knows each other well and works together effectively. It’s just like in
sports: a successful football team is one in which a sub, too, will be
able to excel. That motivates everyone. People are also motivated
by getting the opportunity to improve through courses and training
sessions. It’s not necessary to pull out the big guns and enlist the
services of gurus or rah-rah motivators. This company is much too
down-to-earth for that. Its balanced policy ensures that everyone
who deals with Aartsenfruit finds themselves interacting with
motivated, committed and passionate people. That’s what makes
Aartsenfruit strong.
‘Energy starts with
the people at Aartsenfruit.
It starts with the right character
and mentality.’
Attractive
Aartsenfruit has a rock-solid reputation and
image. That is the sum total of the way the
company presents itself in its own surroundings,
at trade fairs and online. But also with Refresh,
during trips abroad and through simple things
like business cards. Of course, direct personal
interaction is also a key factor.
Aartsenfruit’s prominent position in the
Hillenraad100 – a list of the 100 leading Dutch
companies – shows its approach is widely
appreciated. All this, plus testimonials from
existing business contacts, creates Aartsenfruit’s
powerful reputation as an energetic company
with a hands-on approach.
Sharing success
As a company, you also need to be able to give.
The management feels that it is able to support
people who are less fortunate in life. That’s a
privileged position to find yourself in and a
responsibility you need to fulfil. The company
feels it can share its energy with others through
the Aartsenfruit Kids Foundation. This isn’t
something that Aartsenfruit makes a big song and
dance about, but it does give the company energy.
The Netherlands,
Belgium and Hong Kong
With offices in the Netherlands, Belgium and Hong Kong, there are
major differences within Aartsenfruit. On the whole, Belgians tend to
be quieter and more introverted than the Dutch. Hong Kong is a real
24-hour economy with a head-down, nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic.
That culture and approach is clearly different from both the
Netherlands and Belgium – but it’s not necessarily any better or worse.
Everyone puts a lot of energy into the work. Everyone feels good
bringing a great deal of commitment to the table. That’s the same
in the Netherlands, Belgium and Hong Kong.
Energy for partners
and customers
Everyone agrees that it all comes down to results.
Aartsenfruit’s core business is marketing fruit and
vegetables. Its various partners worldwide get the
most energy if they get the right results, and
Aartsenfruit is very good at making that happen.
The same is true with regards to its many
customers: the right products, with the right
quality, at the right price. That gives Aartsenfruit’s
customers energy! And that’s how simple it can be:
Aartsenfruit is the energy supplier between
partners and customers.
27
28

Aartsenfruit
sees
bright future
for Bimi
Wide
product range
In the last Refresh we told you
about Aartsenfruit's wide product
range. Recently, Aartsenfruit had
the chance to expand this range
with Bimi, a hybrid of broccoli and
kai-lan (a Chinese cruciferous
vegetable). This veg has been
immensely popular for several
years now in Great Britain,
where it's sold under the name
Tenderstem.
Benelux right
The seed supplier is Sakata, a Japanese company that works with
various licensees to market this vegetable. In Europe, the licensee
is British-based Coregeo. Aartsenfruit was able to connect with
Coregeo through one of its suppliers in Spain, and the upshot is
that Aartsenfruit has been able to acquire the right to market Bimi
in the Benelux.
Brand trust
Aartsenfruit has been able to acquire
the right to market Bimi in the Benelux
Today's marketplace is seeing a trend towards patenting and
protecting crops through licenses, leading to produce brands.
It is probable that more alliances like this one will be forged in
the future. Modern consumers value recognisable brands that
they feel they can trust. With the addition of Bimi to its
product range, Aartsenfruit is bringing a recognisable brand
to consumers.
Road to success
According to Aartsenfruit's Jasper van der Sandt, Bimi has
terrific potential. 'Sometimes you get a product that starts
small but evolves to become a huge hit. We have seen that
with kiwis and broccoli in the past. We're convinced that
with the right approach, time, promotion and marketing,
and Coregeo as our partner, we can put Bimi on that same
road to success. We think Bimi fits current shifts in consumer
demand. It's sold ready to cook, is edible from stem to
flower and fresh as can be, and is packed full of healthy
nutrients.'
29 30

Angelique
van Oijen
' A change
in behaviour
is the key
to success.'
Cooking up: Weight consultant Angelique van Oijen on energy
Food and nutrition are often discussed on the internet and
on TV, in newspapers and magazines. But it's not just in the
media. People themselves also talk about it a lot and are always
thinking about it. There seems to be no getting away from it.
When it comes to nutrition and weight loss, people jump on
one bandwagon after another. It's like a vicious circle.
And in most cases, a breakthrough can only be achieved by a
change in behaviour, a change in lifestyle. Angelique van Oijen
is a weight consultant who helps otherwise healthy people
who wish to gain or lose weight and people who would like
more energy. She often focuses on getting them to change
their behaviour.
Nutrition over sport
As an avid sportswoman, it wasn't
surprising when Angelique van Oijen
started working as a sports instructor
12 years after the birth of her youngest
child. She then trained as a weight
consultant and now finds it more
enjoyable, not to mention more
interesting, to focus on nutrition.
However, she still trains a running
group and people who are preparing
for marathons and also provides sports
nutrition advice.
Disappointing trends
'I know what forms a healthy foundation and I'm good at evaluating trends', says
Angelique. 'However, the average consumer doesn't have the same knowledge and
tends to fall for gurus and hypes. And hypes come along all the time: dairy products,
carbs, sugar, raw food, fats, meat, the list goes on. We like to follow the gurus.
People see photos and videos of attractive people on website or in magazines and
decide to follow a similar diet. Although they often lose weight at first, as time goes
by people tend to slip back into old habits. Then they will jump on a new bandwagon,
full of enthusiasm. I can always rely on my basic knowledge and see what has been
scientifically proven. I work with my clients to change their behaviour. The psychological
aspect is very interesting to me and I consider it the key to success. You can tell people
what constitutes a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle, but many people just won't follow
your advice. As a result, it's better to focus on fundamental changes and to help them
make the transition.'
31 32

Energy-rich
foods
Enjoyable programmes
Everybody is different and a good weight
consultant will bear this in mind. So how do
you know when a programme has been
successful? The answer is different for each
client. 'What matters is that my clients are
satisfied. I think it's very important for them
to change their behaviour. They will only
start seeing significant improvements once
they do so. I find that it works well to
remind people of their own responsibilities.
It takes effort and commitment by the
clients. These are long-term projects which
last at least a year. After all, it takes time to
establish what works for individual clients
and what they like doing, because they
have to enjoy the process.'
Driving forces
As a weight consultant, Angelique builds
up an intensive relationship with her clients
and that appeals to her. 'I gain energy from
healthy food, enough rest and plenty of
exercise. It's also fulfilling to know that I
have built up my own business, Fit in
Balans, which ties in really well with my
busy family life. That also gives me a lot of
positive energy. But I get even more energy
from coaching my clients and seeing their
results. Working with them on such an
important goal, which makes them feel
fitter, gain more energy, run fewer health
risks and often feel more self-confident,
that's what makes me really happy.'
Nutrition for
marathon
training
Angelique van Oijen is an avid
marathon runner. When it comes to
performance, food obviously plays an
important role. As such, the question
‘so what do you eat and drink?’, is one
that Angelique hears on a regular basis.
Here, she reveals her own eating
pattern while training for a marathon.
'At 9 am on Sunday, I have a 34 km run
scheduled. That's a serious distance.
That's why, to make sure I'm properly
prepared, I will already start eating
enough carbohydrates on Saturday.
These will provide the fuel which I really
need the next day.
As well as my usual food, I will eat extra
fruit, white bread with honey (a real treat)
and wholemeal pancakes as a hot meal.
My day starts at 7 am on Sunday, 2 hours
before I start exercising, with a carbohydraterich
and low-fat breakfast which consists
of a generous bowl of porridge with
banana, cinnamon and a small handful
of walnuts. I'll also have two large cups
of tea.'
'If you really want to improve your health, choose plenty of
vegetables, fruit and wholegrain products. These will give you
energy. I recommend 300 to 400 grams of vegetables and 3 pieces
of fruit per day as standard. It's a lot, I know. After all, even the
current advice (200 grams of vegetables and two pieces of fruit) is
barely being achieved in the Netherlands. But I coach my clients
extremely well. You quickly notice that people start feeling fitter
' I'm not
anti-sugar
but too
much is
harmful.'
Energydepleting
food
and more energetic. Two-thirds of your diet should be plant-based,
but proteins in the form of dairy, fish and meat are also required.'
When Angelique needs to give concise guidelines for healthy
eating, guidelines which apply to all healthy people, she points
them in the direction of the food pyramid.
www.fitinbalans.com/voedingspiramide
On the other hand, some foods take
energy from the body. Refined sugars
are one example. 'I'm not anti-sugar but
too much is harmful. All the vitamins and
fibre have been stripped from processed
sugar. As a result, processing these foods
depletes your own body of fibre and
vitamins.
This uses up a lot of energy. When you
eat fruit, you are also eating fibre,
vitamins and minerals along with the
fruit sugar, so these nutrients are not
taken from your body. The same applies
to white bread and brown bread.
Fibre and vitamins have been removed
from these foods, whereas wholemeal
bread still contains these elements and
therefore gives you energy.' It is therefore
safe to say that these foods consume
energy.
Common
misconceptions
There are a lot of misconceptions about
food. For example, many people assume
that smoothies and freshly squeezed
orange juice are super healthy.
Angelique thinks differently. 'In smoothies
and fresh orange juice, you remove the
fibre from fruit and vegetables and pretty
much turn it into sugared water.
Some diets prescribe a lot of smoothies,
or even nothing but smoothies, but then
you will be lacking in nutrients.
Another misconception is the idea that
dark-coloured breads with seeds in them
are good for you. Wholemeal bread
actually is good for you as it contains the
whole grain, i.e. complete with fibre and
vitamins. There is also a persistent
misconception about vitamins, which is
"there's no harm in trying". However, this
doesn't apply to vitamins. It's quite possible
to consume too many vitamins.'
'At 8.30 am, I cycle to the forest where
the group of runners meet. 10 minutes
before I leave, I will drink 250 ml of sports
drink. Of course, I will have thought about
what I'm going to eat during the run.
I make sure I carry enough drinks in my
backpack. Because I'm not really a fan of
so-called ‘sports gels’, I tend to go for half
a litre of sports drink and half a litre of
water. I really don't recommend sport
drinks for recreational athletes, but
training for a marathon goes far beyond
that. Your body really does have different
needs for a marathon.
My regular food intake during the run
consists of 2 honey sandwiches made with
white bread and a small bag of dried fruit.
Other runners might eat some gingerbread,
a banana or a sports bar along the way.
When my training session ends, I will
quickly make up for any deficiencies with
a home-made shake which contains
low-fat yoghurt with fresh raspberries
and blueberries, a tablespoon of Brinta
oatmeal and a bit more honey.
This combination of carbohydrates and
proteins ensures a good recovery and
quickly restores my energy levels for my
next training session!'
33
34

South, south
again and even
further south!
In the autumn, Bart Gouw travelled to the Italian city of Rimini to visit Macfrut.
It was his first time at this trade fair, where he experienced Aartsenfruit's
excellent reputation for himself. Richard Uijtdewillegen and Jasper van der Sandt
visited Spain, where they visited various growers and attended Fruit Attraction
in Madrid. Youp Meeuwissen, Niels van Nunen, Menno van Breemen and
Jack Aartsen, meanwhile, went quite a bit further south, to South Africa.
We have put together several quotes and photos which capture the trips perfectly.
Rimini
Richard Uijtdewillegen
'It was the first time that Jasper and I had gone to Spain without Jack Aartsen. I was really
keen to go because I want to present the Aartsenfruit story to interested growers myself,
and I want to get trade up and running. The language was no longer a barrier and I was
ready for it.'
'We went to one of the largest citrus companies in Spain. There, it isn't just about quantity,
but quality as well. It made a big impression on us to see how the company operates:
huge production rates, a lot of people, a lot of automation.'
'It's always difficult to assess and manage expectations properly. Some companies
have simply set their expectations too high, and then it's up to us to clarify things.
Fortunately, we often manage to win them round and end up doing business together.'
'If you actually go to visit people, they have more time and can show you their
company. I see new developments every time I go to Spain, and then I wonder if
it could be an opportunity for Aartsenfruit. There are still so many possibilities
for our company. It keeps us on the ball.'
Madrid
Bart Gouw
'We still have a lot of work to do in Italy. We focus on various
specific and often regional products. These include apples,
stone fruit, grapes, parsley, bunched carrots, daikon, sharon
fruit, long aubergines, baby leaves and fennel.'
'People are very familiar with the Aartsenfruit brand.
Very often, they will know our name even if we haven't had
any contact with them before. This is an extremely good sign.
And we are highly respected everywhere.'
'Several times at the fair, I heard someone shout "Bart!!!"
very loudly. When I looked round, I would see a familiar
grower, like the one from Sicily, for instance, who was really
enthusiastic. That's what happens at fairs like these and
it reveals a great deal about our relationship. It's great.'
Youp Meeuwissen
'We gained new impressions every day. It was a great experience.
In many respects, South Africa is a wonderful country.
The people are so friendly and welcoming, whether you're in
a hotel, in a restaurant or visiting a company. There is a huge
divide between the rich and the poor, however, and that
really stands out.'
'I'm really pleased to have visited South Africa. We met people
who I speak to on a regular basis but have never actually met.
It's great to know who is taking care of you on the other side
of the world. I like to joke "Have a good holiday" to my
colleagues when they go on a trip, but in reality these trips
are very intensive.'
'I learned a great deal, certainly about business, as well as
local working methods and the problems that people encounter
there. It's also striking how vast their growing areas are.
People might talk about 2,000 hectares of land, but you only
really get a sense of how big that is when you're driving
around it.'
35 36

nonstop
to Hong Kong
Asia Fruit Logistica from 7 to 9 September
Asia Fruit Logistica has long been the largest and
most important trade fair in Asia. It is the perfect place
to highlight the nonstopfresh campaign to existing
and potential partners in Asia. Every year, the fair
provides an excellent opportunity to reach agreements
with existing suppliers and distribution partners in Asia
for the new season and to work together to achieve an
even better result.
Names from left to right:
Jack Aartsen, Menno van Breemen,
Sabrina Hung, Wayne Jongerius, Yama Cheung,
Allen Wang, Pui San Poon
Contacts were naturally also made with new shipping
agents during this edition. The attractive stand worked
as an accelerator and also helped to convey the
nonstopfresh message. As befits a company like
Aartsenfruit, expectations ran high. The initial reactions
were excellent, but the effectiveness of Asia Fruit Logistica
will only become clear over the next 6 to 8 months.
37
38

nonstop
to Madrid
Fruit Attraction from 5 to 7 October
At Fruit Attraction Madrid, a great deal of interest was shown in
Aartsenfruit and the stand. It was a striking, transparent stand which
offered plenty of opportunities to talk. The main focus was the new
nonstopfresh campaign.
Names from left to right:
Brigitte van der Pluym, Jasper van der Sandt,
Gijs Aartsen, Rob Pijpers, Hassan Benmoussa,
Jack Aartsen, Richard Uijtdewillegen
Presentation
The new corporate film was
played continuously on a large
screen. The stand also featured
four boarding places (Breda,
Hong Kong, Venlo and
St. Katelijne-Waver) and a
conveyor belt with crates of fruit.
A genuine gateway was created.
Once again, Aartsenfruit
profiled itself extremely well
and made every effort to
establish business contacts and
find new partners. The results
are still unclear, but the initial
impressions are promising.
39 40

Hai una
passione
per la frutta
e verdura?
Climate quandary
victoria
tells!
column Victoria Koblenko
Though it feels like a different lifetime, it was only seven years ago that I made a trip with several fellow
students to Brazil. To be specific, a climate trip to the Amazon. Young and ambitious, we were determined to
turn this journey into a successful Fair Climate project: one that would not only synthesise the specialisations
we were studying, but also enable us to push back our own footprints.
Wij zoeken commercieel talent, Italiaanstalig.
Wij zoeken niet zomaar een commercieel talent. Je moet begrijpen waar vers om draait. Beseffen
wat er nodig is om groenten en fruit vanuit heel de wereld op de plaats van bestemming te krijgen.
Je werkt namelijk niet bij zomaar een bedrijf, Aartsenfruit is de enige echte internationale gateway
voor groenten en fruit. Niets is ons te gek, als het moet laten we zelfs een kiwi vliegen.
Spreekt onze ambitie je aan? Kijk dan voor de complete vacature op
www.aartsenfruit.com/career-opportunities
From the capital of Brasilia we took an endless bus ride to the
lungs of our planet, a place where a handful of Indian tribes still
carve out their lives amidst encroaching deforestation. During our
brief stay with one of them it became painfully clear that climate
change is no conspiracy theory, but a harsh reality for this small
group of indigenous rainforest dwellers. While there, we slept
ten to a hammock in tents. Electricity was a luxury that we were
happy to trade in for the experience. We woke with the sun and
bathed in a river alongside the tribal families. Sitting around the
campfire each evening we were struck by the impact that our
global mass consumption is having on a people that live in
harmony with nature. If you live by the laws of nature and the
traditions handed down from one generation to the next, the
world around you falls apart when others come in and start
imposing their own laws on that nature. This is how our translator
summed up mass consumption.
It was no easy matter to find local language equivalents for words
like energy, let alone for concepts that the modern parlance of
our energy-suffused society can no longer do without – concepts
like economisation and sustainable consumption.
The life necessities we swapped around the campfire were
patently unfair: for them, food; for us, more!
The Indians' food security hinges not on calendars and clocks but
on an age-old tradition: when flowers fall into the river, it's time
to sow. But now, thanks to climate change, flowers are drifting
downriver much earlier, resulting in failed harvests.
The indigenous people's reverence for the nature that feeds them
and its medicinal secrets has been appropriated by 'civilisation',
by consumerism. Because we continue to pile on financial
incentives for the cultivation of crops like soya beans, entire
forests are being chopped down. The laws of the market have
trumped the laws of nature.
climate change is no conspiracy theory,
but a harsh reality
If these stories made us think, the real moral dilemma came
when we were asked if we wanted to see the severity of the
deforestation and forest fires with our own eyes, from a small
aeroplane. That brought us up short, because how often do you
get a chance like this? That majority sentiment overruled the
minority who didn't want to fly on principle. We stilled our
conscience with a hefty carbon offset and boarded with the
words of a local soya bean farmer echoing in our ears: 'Men are
not knocking down forests because they are evil! They are just
trying to make a living.'
Victoria Koblenko (35) is an actress, presenter and writer. She was born in Ukraine and has lived in the Netherlands since she was twelve.
42

- Aartsenfruit Asia column -
‘From country to country’
with Aartsenfruit
Asia
Du zhe men, wǒ men zai ci huan ying nin!*
Menno van Breemen has been the Managing Director of
Aartsenfruit Asia in Hong Kong since 2012.
Refresh/
NXT
*Welcome back in the column!
43
Energy as the basis of success? Energy is
an interesting topic. What springs to
mind when you think of energy? Green
energy is naturally a hot topic at the
moment. Lower global emissions would
offer many benefits. Electric cars, solar
panels on the roof: everyone can see the
changes happening in the world around them.
Energy can also have a different meaning. It
immediately makes me think of carrying on where
others stop. Energy is the motivating factor which makes
individuals and therefore companies go the extra mile to
achieve success. Or to take that little extra step to
achieve a better result for the shipping agents, or to
ensure that the clients get exactly what they want.
So where exactly does energy come from? From your
environment? From people? From the organisation?
Energiser
These days, you only have to open a book at random to read
all kinds of new-fangled jargon. The same thing happens
within organisations, where energy levels are becoming a hot
topic. A new initiative should always be embraced in my
opinion, because of all the positive energy that usually
surrounds it. It's a good time to cast a critical glance at
current working methods, and one idea tends to lead to
another. Sometimes you need an ‘energiser’ to ignite a
spark, and the rest might join forces to turn it into
something new.
Heart and soul
A spark can give an organisation the desire to
innovate, although people often reach the conclusion
that the current working methods are still up to date.
However, there should always be room for innovation
as this has an activating and stimulating effect.
People need to keep busy. Is energy within our
organisation related to good performance and
a learning curve? These are questions which
our partners will need to answer. At
Aartsenfruit, we are staying nonstopfresh
and continuing to put a great deal of
energy and our heart and soul into
developing the relationships with our
partners all over the world.
Energy in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the most heavily
populated metropolises in the world, with an
extremely rich combination of Asian and
Western cultures. This makes it a hugely
dynamic city. Most people are familiar with Hong
Kong's extremely busy streets and neon lighting.
A visit to the city will often drastically change your view
of Asia. It's so busy on the street, in the metro stations or
at bus stops where people run from one side to the other.
They just manage to catch the bus or train at the last minute,
and this happens all the time.
In addition, the number of pedestrians is immense and
beyond scary! At the same time, the city is simply bursting with
skyscrapers, shopping centres and busy streets. People really
are on the go on the street, in stores, bars and even offices
24 hours a day, which makes this city live and breathe energy.
In my opinion, the fast pace of life and the drive exhibited by
all the inhabitants lead to higher work pressure for everyone.
In turn, this demands the energy which Hong Kong exudes 24/7.
It's a self-enhancing effect.
Energy within Aartsenfruit Asia
We go the extra mile. That sentence says it all, really. Trade from
all corners of the world which reaches all those clients in
Europe and Asia, non-stop. Frequent travel in the region forms
an inherent part of our work. We are constantly working with
our business contacts in order to improve. As we have a
huge range of fruit and vegetables and an extremely
comprehensive distribution network, this requires a great
deal of energy!
But then again, when you see the speed of the various
wholesale markets in Asia, your batteries get recharged
automatically. In any case, I don't think that energy is
ever wasted. Sometimes we try things which don't work
out the way we would like them to, and then we
think of the words of Anthony Robbins: “No
matter how many mistakes you make or
how slow you progress, you are still miles
ahead of those who do nothing”. So be
sure to keep up your energy and remember,
it's full speed ahead!
Talk soon!
Menno van Breemen
Colophon
Refresh is
published by
Aartsenfruit Breda B.V.
Heilaar-Noordweg 9
4814 RR Breda
P.O. Box 9555
4801 LN Breda
www.aartsenfruit.com
refresh@aartsenfruit.com
Breda City!
Editor in chief
Jack Aartsen
Editorial board
Brigitte van der Pluym
Frank Poppelaars
Stefan Verhaar
Agnes Wellen
Text
Stefan Verhaar
Nicole Roelands
Translation
Metamorfose
Vertalingen BV
Photography
Frank Poppelaars
Matthew van der Weide
René Schotanus
Design and
realisation
Just in Case Communicatie
Etten-Leur
www.just-in-case.nl
SuperRebel B.V.
Breda
www.SuperRebel.com
44