Forward-looking employment practices

The shortage of qualified food industry personnel, especially in skilled positions such as butchers and operators, remains a major challenge for our company. Reducing the labour and skills shortage and creating attractive working conditions is a top priority for us and will remain so for the foreseeable future. 'Motivated employees’ is one of our four strategic pillars for good reason. We believe it is important taking a leading position in working conditions, terms of employment, professional development, health, safety, and welfare is essential to attracting and retaining the best people for our company.

According to government agency Statistics Netherlands, food products became 25.6% more expensive between 2022 and 2024, on average. Although wages have also seen a marked increase, many consumers continue to closely monitor their grocery spending. The demand for affordable meat products and meal solutions is growing considerably, with product quality being the obvious top priority.

Good nutrition shouldn’t be a luxury; this is a key objective in our strategic plan. For this reason, we offer a balanced range, ensuring sufficient choice at every price point.

We offer affordable products such as minced meat, available in value-packs or as a ‘special offer’ product, as well as premium products such as steak, which can be considered a favourable alternative to eating out.

Inflation on food products is partly driven by the high cost of labour. We are investing in robotisation of labour-intensive production processes to minimise these costs, thereby increasing  the price of our products.

Over the years, sustainable production has become a key requirement in the (Western) food industry. All links in the chain (from farmer and manufacturer to retailer and food service) are jointly responsible for making a contribution to realising the Paris Climate Agreement (limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5^oC). We are seeing our customers, consumers and (future) employees attach increasing importance to sustainable business practices.

Since 2011, sustainability has been high on our agenda and an integral part of our mission and strategy.

In 2023, we joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Our CO₂ reduction targets for 2030 have been validated and approved by the SBTi. These targets are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and included in our strategic plan.

The plans and actions for water and energy conservation, waste reduction and improving the use of materials are reviewed in detail every quarter and adjusted where necessary.

As a result of increasing consumer awareness of animal welfare and the impact of the food chain on our planet, our customers are increasingly demanding closed, local animal chains. These chains are completely transparent, which makes communicating with consumers about animal welfare, origin, and the environmental impact of meat significantly easier.

We are investing heavily in the development of our 100% Dutch Varken op z'n Best- chain.

By implementing blockchain technology, it is possible to visualise each pig farmer's CO₂ footprint and manage it accordingly.

Animal welfare and health has been improved by giving the pigs more daylight and place to feed, enabling them to live in larger groups and covering the floors. In addition, we have started a pilot in which the pigs' tails are no longer docked.

The shift from animal to vegetable proteins - the protein transition - is a crucial market trend driven by government policy and broad cooperation within the sector. This transition seamlessly fits in with national sustainability goals, including CO₂ reduction and biodiversity restoration. All major Dutch retailers have committed to this development, with the minimum aim of meeting the legally required ratio of 50% animal and 50% vegetable protein by 2030.

We have developed an innovative plant-based fibre, FiberFort™, which enables the production of hybrid meat products. Hybrid meat products combine meat (animal protein) with vegetables or vegetable fibre. Over the past year, we have introduced a variety of hybrid products for the Dutch retail and food service sectors.

Hybrid innovations play a key role in the protein transition because they appeal to a broad consumer group and, as a result, have a major impact.

Focusing entirely on vegan and vegetarian solutions remains a niche market and does not sufficiently contribute to realising the protein transition and associated objectives on a large scale.

Consumers (who shop at our retail customers) as well as our food service customers are constantly looking for convenience. Consumers are preparing their own meals to a decreasing degree. Those who continue to cook prefer to do this faster and more easily. We are seeing a similar trend among our food service customers; here, too, there is a need for ready-made or partially prepared products to save time and compensate for the lack of (qualified) personnel. As a result, we are constantly looking for innovative solutions that meet today’s demand for convenience.

Our Convenience division produces chilled meals, meal components, salads (including pasta salads), soups and sauces. The ‘Bonfait’ and ‘Maitre’ lines are prime examples of convenience products.

Furthermore, our Retail and Foodservice division produces a wide range of cooked meat and chicken products (which only require heating up). Our oven dishes and seasonal specialities (BBQ/Christmas/Easter) are also well-known in the market. These products take away the hassle for the consumer; there is no need to choose and prepare recipes. Usually, the product only needs to be cooked in the oven at the right temperature.

For many years, Enkco has been supplying numerous pre-cooked (meat) products to the Food Service and B2B markets, which customers' chefs can use to create quick meals. Several new Heroes were added to this range at the beginning of 2025, including rib fingers (cooked), pork belly (cooked), grilled chicken breast and brisket (cooked). Enkco also constantly inspires its customers with innovative new products, recipes on the website and on-site cooking demonstrations.