Cibus launches The Flavour Farm with the acquisition of Duijvestijn Tomaten BV
Pijnacker, Netherlands, Cibus Fund II (‘Cibus’), a specialist investment fund focused on sustainable food and agriculture, today announced that it has acquired Duijvestijn Tomaten BV (“Duijvestijn”), a leading European producer and marketer of tomatoes grown in high-tech Dutch glasshouses powered by green energy infrastructure. The acquisition of Duijvestijn marks the first step in Cibus’ launch of The Flavour Farm, a European platform focused on the production of sustainable, local and year-round fresh produce in controlled environment facilities powered by renewable energy. The strategy expedites the decarbonisation of high-value vegetable production within the region.
Founded in 1963 and headquartered in Pijnacker, Netherlands, Duijvestijn currently grows four varieties of tomatoes in almost 25 hectares of glasshouse, delivering approximately 17 million KGs of tomatoes annually to retail, food service, wholesale and specialty stores across Europe. In addition to production, Duijvestijn has integrated packaging capabilities through its LogiFour division which was founded in 2001, grading, packaging and preparing proprietary grown and third-party varieties of vegetables for dispatch to Duijvestijn’s diversified customer base including J Sainsbury and Ahold Delhaize.
Cibus and The Flavour Farm will seek to continue Duijvestijn’s strong trajectory by building on the leading sustainability profile of the business. In 2011, Duijvestijn installed a geothermal energy system from which almost all of the heat required by the glasshouse is generated, supported by 2,500 solar panels, five combined heat and power systems and an e-boiler. Additionally, repurposed CO2 is supplied from the Dutch Shell refinery, post capture and scrubbing. As a result of this diversified and resilient energy portfolio, Duijvestijn’s tomato production targets CO2 neutrality and will serve as a blueprint for future locations of The Flavour Farm.
Rob Appleby, Founder and CIO of Cibus Capital: “Consumers and retailers are increasingly seeking sustainable and locally grown fresh produce. Cibus is passionate about backing companies that share our values and that are committed to improving sustainability in agriculture by driving the technological revolution that the industry needs. In Duijvestijn, we found an industry leader that aligns with our impact objectives and will act as the first building block in the growth of The Flavour Farm.”
Jason Silm, Head of Agriculture of Cibus Capital: “Cibus has long term relationships with UK and European retailers who are now seeking supply chains that are rapidly pivoting towards decarbonisation. We are thrilled to bring our expertise in the sustainable production of high-value crops to the innovative Dutch glasshouse industry. With over four-decades of industry experience, the combined Duijvestijn and The Flavour Farm management will form an industry-leading team, with the opportunity to pioneer a pan-European platform focused on fresh produce self-sufficiency.”
Gert van Straalen, CEO of The Flavour Farm: “In certain European geographies there is a supply shortfall for fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables, a shortfall that The Flavour Farm is seeking to address through the development of a production network promoting self-sufficiency. Duijvestijn is the first step in addressing this and we see it as a centre of excellence which will act as both a blueprint and a benchmark for The Flavour Farm’s sustainable practices across a growing European network.”
Ad van Adrichem, CEO of Duijvestijn: “We are making a strategic choice in a changing market in which scaling up and cooperation are becoming more important. With this collaboration, we expect our company to be able to further consolidate, grow and flourish. We see a lot of room in Europe to roll out our sustainable production methods and as part of The Flavour Farm, we believe we can make a great contribution to this.”
Ends
About Cibus Capital
Cibus Capital LLP is a sustainable food and agriculture firm based in London. Founded in 2016, Cibus advises on investments by the Cibus funds into new and innovative companies that are well-positioned to benefit from the transition of the food and agriculture value chain to a new, sustainable model. Cibus has raised over USD 1bn to date, advising on growth and buyout investments in mid-market food production and processing businesses and late-stage venture agrifood tech companies disrupting the food value chain in Europe, USA and other OECD countries.
About The Flavour Farm
The Flavour Farm is a European platform focused on the production of sustainable, local and year-round fresh produce in controlled environment facilities powered by renewable energy. The strategy expedites the decarbonisation of high-value vegetable production within the region, capitalising on the opportunity to increase self-sufficiency through providing retailers with year-round scheduled supply and achieving premium pricing through focusing on enhanced genetics and quality, grown locally.
About Duijvestijn Tomaten BV
Duijvestijn Tomaten BV is a leading European producer and marketer of tomatoes in high-tech Dutch glasshouses powered by green energy transition infrastructure. Duijvestijn has a vertically integrated business model, operating 25 hectares of modern glasshouse powered by a geothermal energy system, integrated packaging systems which grades, packages and prepares varieties of vegetables for dispatch and a direct sales team selling to European retailers, foodservice providers, specialty stores and distributors.