VOG Consortium reveals its latest sustainability projects

Italy

Thursday 04 August 2022

VU | VOG Verband der Südtiroler Obstgenossenschaften Gen.landw.Ges.

Hannes Tauber, marketing manager, and Werner Castiglioni, director, from the VOG Consortium presenting new packaging made from grass paper

Last week, the VOG Consortium of Terlano (BZ), one of the largest apple producers in Europe, presented its organic production projects at BIOFACH in Nuremberg (Germany). Fructidor had an opportunity to talk with Hannes Tauber, marketing manager, and Werner Castiglioni, director of the VOG Cooperative Biosudtirol.

The VOG product range, able to meet market demand 12 months a year, includes the Bio Marlene® and Biosüdtirol brands, as well as successful brands like Pink Lady® Bio and Kanzi® Bio – Tauber explains. Beside them, the more recent Giga®, RedPop® and Cosmic Crisp®, three next-generation apples suitable for organic farming and ideal for the second half of the season. The Consortium’s assortment also includes exclusively organic brands like Natyra®, Topaz, Pilot, Gold Rush and Bonita.

Being committed to sustainability, the Consortium is active in various areas: they participate in the sustainapple

project which follows the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda; they have been investing in photovoltaic energy for many years with systems fitted to the roofs of the packaging plants that reuse the clean energy produced by the 300 days of sunshine in South Tyrol - Südtirol.

Besides, many projects have been developed to make product packaging sustainable and to reuse processing waste. Apples unsuitable for eating raw have been reutilized in by- products. Now apple residues are also destined to the production of cardboard, paper, and packaging, or in the production of energy and fertilizers.

Hannes Tauber highlighted that VOG’s wide range enables them to offer apples suitable for different consumers and lifestyles, always of the highest quality from a closely controlled production chain, all year round.

For more than thirty years organic farming has been integral to the development of VOG: a growing segment that has become increasingly important every year and which now represents 10% of the surface area cultivated by the consortium’s producers.

VOG’s organic products are commercialized in more than 40 markets, including Germany, UK, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Benelux, as well as outside Europe, in Asia and the Middle East, while apples of integrated production are sold to 75 destinations.

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