Other Videos

Hero Group: Delight Customers by Conserving the Goodness of Nature

By 2050, the global demand for necessities such as food, water and energy will have risen. Food production is an important and unavoidable process, but it does have negative effects on the environment, with agriculture as one of the drivers of deforestation and the loss of biodiversity. Even so, with the global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, there will be an even greater need for food. For future generations to survive and thrive in the world they will inherit, the food industry of today needs to evolve in a significant manner. The Hero Group, an international food provider, is aware of this need and is working to do its part in ensuring the planet of tomorrow is even healthier than it is today. As a family-owned company, existing since 1886, this imperative is particularly strong; as the owners plan to hand over a sustainable company and planet to generations to come.

The Hero Group is an international manufacturer and provider of food with a reach across five continents. By involving itself in the production and provision of a myriad of products – from baby food, to healthy snacks and jams – the company shows that it wants to be a part of its consumers’ lives throughout their journey. The Hero Group operates according to a clear mission: To delight consumers by conserving the goodness of nature. This mission informs the company’s strategy, and places sustainability at its heart.

There are three core pillars to Hero Group’s sustainable strategy, leading to the overall ambition to be Climate Positive by 2030. First, the company is driving Sustainable Sourcing of its ingredients by working directly with farmers and suppliers; second, the Hero Group is working to be Net Neutral in production by 2030 in terms of water and CO₂, while working towards its ambition to generate net zero food waste. The final pillar strives to ensure products supplied by the Hero Group are naturally healthy – good for people and for the planet. Using such core guidelines allows the Hero Group to maintain high-quality products while ensuring their sustainability.

Outside of its own production, the Hero Group maintains this sustainable focus – an approach easily noticed in the company’s collaborations with others. Working with Ingenhof Erdbeeren, a company known for its production of strawberries, the Hero Group ensures the safety and protection of the bee population through its ‘Bee Careful’ initiative. The benefits of such an initiative are twofold: the relationship that Hero Group maintains with farmers and suppliers is strengthened by collaborating in building bee-inspired ecosystems to improve soil health, and the bee population – without which, there would be no pollination that allows effective harvesting – is effectively protected.

Today, any company across the globe must be aware of the need for sustainability. Consumers are demanding greater transparency from companies about the origin and manufacture of products. The Hero Group is aware of this need and, through transparency in this manner, looks to improve the sustainability of its products using an end-to-end Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) footprint analysis; while ensuring that consumers understand that they are getting quality and sustainability in equal measure.

The Hero Group’s current goal to become climate positive by 2030 demonstrates its commitment to guaranteeing that its industry’s future is aligned with a result that will ensure that the future population of the planet is well-provided for in a sustainable manner.