anyone Who has held a non-Brazil nut worked in the hands, can imagine how time-consuming is the finishing process. Because what is sold to consumers in the lizards tank thick shells sometimes to even crack, are only the seeds that varied as orange slices Inside a thick, coconut-like bullet hide. Of the trees, these nuts must be within the rain forests of the Andes from alone, until they can be collected by the hand of man.
Heike Lattka
correspondent of the Rhein-Main-Zeitung, the Main-Taunus-Kreis.
F. A. Z.
The family business Stephen, Carmina and Andreas van Bergerem explains this miracle of nature in a show exhibit. It is an impressive example of the arduous process, in the case of the Andean farmer to the production site of the eppstein nut tuner “Eco Terra”, many steps are necessary until a fair and sustainable traded, processed Brazil nuts ends up in the food shelf. 1500 tons of nuts, high country, grain, like Quinoa or Chia, as well as dried fruits are processed for five years in Eppstein. Nuts of all kinds, chopped, sliced, roasted, or honey and chocolate coated, seasoned or pastes, creams or Oils processed, removed from the place of the eppstein production.
cost-effectiveness and sustainability
the main customer with 60 percent of the food industry, reported head of the company Stephen van Bergerem. 20 per cent of the nuts are processed for other brand manufacturers according to their specifications. There are big names of chocolate manufacturers are including not allowed to call van Bergerem. Just as much as he reveals: If in a food-Macadamia nuts are included, originated in Germany, mostly from the eppstein production.
In Guatemala for organic Macadamia own a dry plant, with sorting and processing. For the nearly 200 children of the village Eco Terra is built with a private school building. Because cost-effectiveness, and sustainability would not be in conflict, says van Bergerem.
20 million Euro turnover
With Nutfields GmbH, the family business in 2006, established a brand of nut products, which corresponds to the own company philosophy of “Fair, transparent, organic and sustainable” and meanwhile, 20 percent of the total turnover. Especially in France this market is the high-quality own products, is growing rapidly, while the Germans were, unfortunately, willing to pay for organic almond cream that contains no palm oil, also the corresponding price. After all, but the Minibars in the Steigenberger Hotels would be equipped with the fair-traded and organically grown nuts from the Taunus.
About the lack of acceptance can’t complain to the Eco Terra. Sales grew, according to company chief van Bergerem in just five years, the eppstein location from seven to 20 million euros. The Expansion in the industrial area on the outskirts Eppsteins close to the motorway 3 is progressing incessantly. Last year, the company expanded its warehouse and manufacturing space on 11 acres, in the next year a further twelve production lines in three 1,000-square-meter halls to follow in order to be able to special customer requirements. And 2020/2021 is the construction of a large Factory Outlets at the turning hammer of the commercial area is planned.
