The Kleinostheim site has a history reaching back 90 years. Today, it specializes in the production of aqueous plant extracts, the spray-drying of extracts, and the production of flavorings for the beverage industry.

Capacity expansion with modern drying technology
Following on from the previous major investment five years ago, another big step has now been taken at the Kleinostheim site: the new spraying tower will dry liquid green and black tea as well as the herbal and fruit extracts that are produced at Kleinostheim and at MartinBauer’s headquarters in Vestenbergsgreuth. These extracts are primarily used in food products and beverages, among other applications.
Until now, some of the drying had to be outsourced to external contractors due to capacity limitations. “Construction of the new facility reduces our dependency on third parties,” says Stefan Engl, Head of Extract Production at MartinBauer. “On top of that, the modern spraying technology and high degree of automation make processes more flexible and deliver more stable drying results with narrow product tolerance.”

Investment enables reduction of 800 tonnes of CO2 annually
A big driving factor behind the investment in a new spraying tower was emissions reduction and the associated advancement in sustainability. “The new spraying tower enables us to reduce CO2 emissions by 800 tonnes annually in our extract drying and transportation,” says Arpad Brezovski, Managing Director of Operations & Engineering at MartinBauer. Energy consumption per kilo of dried product is now only 25 percent of that of the previous facilities. “This is a giant leap forward on our path to achieving climate neutrality by 2030,” adds Brezovski. The spraying tower also offers financial benefits as it allows MartinBauer to significantly reduce its manufacturing costs and become more competitive.
The new facility has been up and running smoothly since April 2024, following a successful test phase and process validation. The project officially came to a close on

June 27 this year, with an open day for all employees. The event was attended by the entire project team from all involved sites across the company as well as by leading local government representatives Alexander Legler and Tanja Rock.

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With its latest GRI Report, for the year 2023, MartinBauer again disclosed information on the progress the company has made to become more sustainable. This was MartinBauer’s third GRI Report. Over more than 80 pages, it transparently details the targets, measures and developments in 2023, focusing on the three principles Good Corporate Governance, Environmental Protection, and Employees & Society. The report is now available on the website in both German and English: Sustainability – MartinBauer

MartinBauer’s 2023 GRI Sustainability Report constitutes reporting with a broader and deeper scope. The company’s sites around the world are actively included so that we achieve global consistency in the kind of sustainability information we provide and in our understanding of the sustainability strategy required. MartinBauer has been reporting voluntarily since 2020, in line with the internationally recognized standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which is the most widely used framework in the world for sustainability reporting.

“We want to report comprehensively on our actions and clearly show the steps we are taking and the progress we’re making,” says Sebastian Sieben, CEO of MartinBauer. “Our latest report demonstrates that, for us, sustainability takes teamwork – a big challenge that we are mastering together.”

Sustainable progress in 2023

In 2023, MartinBauer made the following measurable contributions to our environment and society:

• Recognition: MartinBauer Germany achieved Gold in the EcoVadis sustainability rating.
• Go Zero climate action plan: Each year, MartinBauer publishes a TÜV-certified comprehensive CO₂e footprint covering all three Scopes of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. By the end of 2023, MartinBauer had reduced its CO₂e emissions by more than 20 percent since 2020.
• Waste and resource management: Almost 98 percent of the waste generated at MartinBauer is non-hazardous; only two percent is hazardous. In 2023, the share of non-hazardous waste sent for recycling, composting or to a biogas plant was 84 percent.
• Occupational health and safety: In 2023, MartinBauer’s global sites had an average work-related accident quota of just seven accidents per one million hours worked. This is considerably lower than the average in the general food and hospitality sector in Germany (18.51, according to German accident insurance organization DGUV’s figures for 2023).

Outlook
In the face of new legal regulations such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), MartinBauer is increasingly expanding its data collection and processing. That should ensure that the company retains its commitment to transparent reporting as it moves forward with its targets and strategies.

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A convincing performance
With a score of 78 points, MartinBauer retained its excellent ranking of previous years and gained reaffirmation that it is on the right track. The company’s business practices were assessed in the four areas of Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement, and again MartinBauer scored above-average results in each category.

Totally committed to sustainability
MartinBauer is consistently pursuing its commitment to sustainability. The effective implementation of its Go Zero 2030 campaign and further development of internal compliance structures have made the company’s practices even more sustainable along its entire supply chain. MartinBauer’s performance in Labor & Human Rights has continued to improve, thanks in particular to additional measures in health and safety and in supply chain management.

Global relevance and recognition
EcoVadis is one of the world’s leading sustainability rating tools, with more than 130,000 companies worldwide using its methodology to assess and continually improve their CSR practices. The EcoVadis methodology incorporates international standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative, the UN Global Compact, and ISO 26000.

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Consistent reductions with TÜV certification

For the fourth time in a row, the nature network calculated its CO₂e footprint in accordance with the internationally recognized Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The findings were again checked and verified by certification body TÜV Rheinland. This external, independent verification ensures that the data are correct, plausible and complete. The nature network has now reduced its CO₂e emissions by more than a quarter (26 percent) since it began measuring them in 2020. That’s a major milestone on the road to climate neutrality.

SBTi: The yardstick for MartinBauer’s climate strategy

The main components of the Group-wide climate strategy are: measure, reduce, avoid. Only those CO₂e emissions that cannot be reduced or avoided will be compensated for – by funding high-quality, certified climate protection projects. The Group has the progress of its climate protection efforts assessed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In 2024, its climate targets were validated by the SBTi, ensuring that they are credible and founded on science.

How was this result achieved?

One decisive factor in this successful result was the implementation of the Group-wide energy management system. Consumption data are continually recorded, monitored and analyzed at all production sites in order to develop targeted measures for improving efficiency. Those measures include heat recovery projects, for example, but also more routine tasks like checking for compressed air leakage. The nature network is also focusing increasingly on renewable energies: it purchases green electricity and even generates it with its own photovoltaic plants.

Data quality as the basis for sustainable decisions

Calculating a CO₂e footprint requires comprehensive data on energy consumption, waste quantities, and other environmental factors. As the nature network has now been systematically calculating its footprint for four years, its data quality is constantly improving. This ongoing optimization makes it possible to perform more precise analyses and implement targeted and effective emissions reductions measures.

Supply chain transparency: a critical lever

Producing a comprehensive CO₂e footprint requires the entire value chain to be transparent. The nature network has been working closely with its raw material partners since 2020 in order to collect primary data, allowing it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a more targeted way. By 2023, 188 partners had joined in, providing valuable data on relevant factors such as cultivation methods, harvest yields, and irrigation techniques. This level of transparency allows targeted measures to be introduced that make the supply chain more sustainable – and the network of partners is constantly expanding.

CCF Year 2023-TUV-Certificate tnn

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The SAI Platform’s recognition is another great testament for MartinBauer as it reflects the company’s mission to act responsibly and considerately toward nature and environment. Covering questions on social, environmental and economic topics such as soil management, biodiversity and labour conditions, the silver level equivalent result is validated for all mabagrown sourcing types: cultivation, small holder and wild collection.

As the SAI platform and the Union of Ethical Biotrade (UEBT) have joined forces to accelerate not only sustainable farming practices but also the responsible sourcing of wild harvested crops since October 2024, this also marks a groundbreaking milestone as MartinBauer is the very first company to receive a benchmark result for wild collection as well.

mabagrown for sustainable sourcing

mabagrown is MartinBauer’s 360° sustainable sourcing system and philosophy to actively manage supply chains and bring real impact alongside their raw material partners. It stands for transparent and resilient supply chains, long-term and fair partnerships, high-quality data on carbon emissions and transparency throughout the supply chain, while also supporting sustainability projects.

About the SAI Platform

The SAI Platform is a global initiative of the food and beverage industry and was founded by Nestlé, Unilever and Danone back in 2002. Currently 190 members are committing to sustainable agricultural practices in order to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems.

A tool for a sustainable future

The centerpiece of this initiative is the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA), which allows food and beverage producers to independently validate and improve the sustainability of their supply chains, resulting in gold, silver or bronze status.

Find the results on SAI’s website: FSA Benchmarking Results

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• Sebastian Sieben takes on global responsibility for MartinBauer
• Michael Wagner takes charge of MartinBauer North America
• Anne Wedel-Klein sets a clear strategic focus for the nature network
• Albert Ferstl embarks on a new phase in his life

October 1, 2024 – the nature network, led by MB-Holding, has a new person at the helm. Anne Wedel-Klein becomes CEO of the multinational group of companies specializing in botanical solutions for the tea, food & beverage, pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries. Together with the CEOs of the business divisions and CFO Reyk Radojewski, Wedel-Klein aims to guide the group through the next phase in its growth. Radojewski joined the company two years ago after almost 16 years in executive positions with Beiersdorf AG, mostly in Asia.

Clear strategic focus for the group of companies

Anne Wedel-Klein, who studied business administration, has been preparing intensively for her new role. She has worked in various positions at her family’s company for 13 years, with three of those years spent in the United States. She joined the management board in 2016, taking responsibility among other things for Sustainability, which has special strategic significance for the nature network.

Albert Ferstl embarks on a new phase in his life.

the nature network, a family business headquartered in the small south German town of Vestenbergsgreuth, was last led by Albert Ferstl, the group’s first non-family CEO. “We would like to thank Albert for his outstanding management of the company and his exceptional level of commitment,” says Adolf Wedel, chairman of the shareholder committee. “For 34 years he represented the best interests of our company and most recently he steered it through very challenging times. We wish him all the best in the next phase of his life.”

Greater responsibilities for Sebastian Sieben

Albert Ferstl was CEO of both the nature network and MartinBauer. As he steps down, responsibility for MartinBauer’s global business passes to Sebastian Sieben, who has been with the company for 22 years and joined the MartinBauer management board in Germany in 2009. For the past five years he has been in charge of the company’s European hub.

“I am delighted to be taking on this challenge and am looking forward to working with my colleagues in North America and Asia,” says Sieben. “We aim to drive our business forward in those regions too, combining market-specific tactical approaches with all the strengths of the nature network. I am extremely grateful to Albert Ferstl for passing on to me very fertile ground for realizing our objectives.”

Dr. Michael Wagner takes charge of MartinBauer’s business operations in North America

Also on October 1, Dr. Michael Wagner takes over from Ennio Ranaboldo as CEO of MartinBauer North America. Mike Wagner, who has a PhD in food engineering, has worked at the company for ten years in various executive roles.

About MartinBauer

Since 1930, MartinBauer has stood for unique expertise in botanical solutions worldwide. As a pioneer on the way to climate neutrality, we develop tailor-made ingredients and solutions for our customers in the tea, beverage, food and animal nutrition industries. Our products are based on responsibly sourced, high-quality botanical raw materials from over 80 countries. With more than 20 production sites and sales units worldwide, we keep our finger on the pulse of local markets. Our goal is to drive creativity and innovation for the successful products of tomorrow. MartinBauer is part of the nature network, a fourth-generation family business. More than 4,000 highly motivated employees worldwide – many of them with decades of experience – work to maintain our competitive edge.

Further information                                                                                  

Katharina Peter

Martin Bauer GmbH & Co. KG
Dutendorfer Str. 5-7
91487 Vestenbergsgreuth

Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)91 6388 596
katharina.peter@the-nature-network.com

www.martin-bauer.com

Der Beitrag Sebastian Sieben becomes global CEO of MartinBauer – Dr. Michael Wagner takes charge of North American operations – Anne Wedel-Klein new CEO of the nature network erschien zuerst auf MartinBauer.

Diversity strengthens competitiveness and customer satisfaction

More than 2,300 people of all ages from 35 countries and many different cultures work together at MartinBauer’s sites around the world every day. The family business, now led by the fourth generation of the Bauer/Wedel family, has incorporated its values into daily working practices with a range of measures. These start with its comprehensive Code of Conduct; it also signed the national Diversity Charter as far back as 2011. “Diversity and equity are much more than a moral obligation for us,” says Anne Wedel-Klein, CEO of the nature network, to which MartinBauer belongs. “They promote creativity, innovation and productivity, and they improve decision-making processes and heighten employee satisfaction. An integrative corporate culture is attractive for employees and allows us to better respond to diverse customer requirements. That increases our competitiveness and customer satisfaction, helping us achieve success within demanding markets.”

MartinBauer’s approach

Nina Tantinger, Talent and Development Manager at MartinBauer Germany, ensures that job ads are formulated in such a way that all potential recruits feel addressed. But MartinBauer doesn’t only express its commitment to diversity externally; it’s an important part of the internal culture, too. Tantinger explains: “Our inhouse campus offers regular courses and talks that not only help participants to develop their own strengths but also communicate the value of diversity.” The company also has a broad range of flexible working models that enable inclusion within daily working life and allow people to exercise their religious beliefs – for example, by providing prayer time for Muslim employees. The company has also developed guidelines on gender-neutral and inclusive language and has an anonymous complaints system that employees can use to report any violations of laws and regulations. There is also a women’s network, initiated by Anne Wedel-Klein in 2018, which currently has 73 members. The network allows women working in management and specialist roles at the nature network’s German sites to exchange news and views. It aims to promote diversity within the nature network, improve recognition and appreciation of female specialists and managers, raise their profile, and encourage discussion. The network is currently working to establish a special mentoring program by and for women.

Diversity cannot be taken for granted

“In difficult times in particular, we have seen that diversity and inclusion cannot be taken for granted,” says Sebastian Sieben, CEO of MartinBauer’s Europe Hub. “We need to invest time and effort into securing those things. Open communication and active listening are essential for us in our daily working life because that’s how we generate understanding for multiple perspectives and create a working environment where everyone feels appreciated.”

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Today, the German Sustainability Award’s 224-strong expert jury announced their shortlist of companies in 20 different formats and 100 sectors – and MartinBauer is among the finalists. That’s further evidence that MartinBauer is one of German industry’s leading sustainable transformation pioneers in the food and beverage industry.

MartinBauer is now in a neck-and-neck competition for the award with three other German companies:

• Organic granola manufacturer Barnhouse Naturprodukte GmbH from Mühldorf am Inn, Bavaria
• Organic cereal products manufacturer Bauck GmbH from Rosche, Lower Saxony
• Baby foods producer HiPP GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG from Pfaffenhofen, Bavaria

The German Sustainability Award winners will receive their prizes at a ceremony in Düsseldorf on November 28, 2024.

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In 2024, Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e. V. presents the German Sustainability Award for the 17th time. The prizes will honor the pioneering contributions that companies and organizations are making toward a more sustainable future. By rewarding the best examples of successful transformation, the foundation demonstrates how it is possible to bring about ecological and social progress more rapidly. In its nomination of MartinBauer, the jury of the German Sustainability Award is honoring the company’s comprehensive commitment to sustainable practices. It has confirmed MartinBauer as a best example in a sector with especially challenging conditions and as a pioneer that proves successful transformation is possible and shows what solutions can work. The first assessment phase selected 300 companies active in 100 different sectors. In the coming weeks the jury will choose the finalists from that longlist.

Sustainability as a business strategy

MartinBauer is a fourth-generation family business that is pursuing a comprehensive sustainability strategy. That includes ecological goals such as reducing CO₂e emissions by 55% by 2030 (from the base year 2020), achieving climate neutrality at our sites and in our global supply chains, progressively expanding our energy management system, and ensuring supply chain transparency. The company has also set social goals such as improving occupational health and safety, and increasing the proportion of women in management positions. Years of preparatory work has brought the company concrete results in areas such as the sustainable procurement of botanical raw materials, the switch to renewable energies, and improved energy efficiency. In 2024, the company published its second Sustainability Report, based on the GRI standard.

Anne Wedel-Klein, great-granddaughter of the company’s founder Martin Bauer and CEO of the nature network, the group of companies that MartinBauer belongs to, explains the strategic approach: “As a family business and botanicals company, we are deeply committed to sustainable practices. Because nature and people are our core pillars, we have consistently made sustainable practices a core element of our business strategy.”

Recognition and motivation

Sebastian Sieben, CEO of MartinBauer’s European Hub, regards the nomination as recognition of what we have already achieved and motivation for us to take further bold steps: “We are delighted by this nomination. It shows that we are on the right path with our sustainable transformation and that we are pioneering within the industry. But we can’t do it alone: cooperation with our customers and raw materials partners is crucial. Together, we develop strong ideas and effect fundamental change.”

About the German Sustainability Award

The German Sustainability Award is based on the goals of the 2030 Agenda and thus on key areas of sustainable transformation such as climate, biodiversity, resources, supply chain, and society. With six separate competition categories, the German Sustainability Award is the most comprehensive of its kind in Europe. The awards are granted in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and more.

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MartinBauer has pledged to pursue climate protection measures along its entire supply chain. The company’s targets, pioneering within the sector, and its clearly defined plan for achieving those targets are science-based and in line with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C scenario. Now, in May 2024, that has been confirmed through independent scrutiny by the renowned Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The goals have now been published on the SBTi website (Target dashboard – Science Based Targets Initiative) – an important milestone in MartinBauer’s global climate protection journey. 

“We are proud that the SBTi has acknowledged all the hard work we undertook in the run up to the validation,” says Sebastian Sieben, CEO of MartinBauer’s Europe Hub. “As a major supply and solutions partner for the tea, beverage, food, animal nutrition, pharmaceutical and dietary supplements industries, we have set the most ambitious CO₂e reduction goals in the sector. Our climate protection plan, which is based on the latest scientific findings and methods, is spearheading the sustainable transformation of our sector. And that matters – because sustainability is crucial for any company wishing to remain fit for the future.”

Validated climate goals for 2030 (SBTi near-term targets)

• “By 2030 the company will reduce its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) by more than half (-58% compared to the base year 2020).” To achieve that, MartinBauer is, for example, expanding its use of renewable energies and improving energy efficiency in its production processes.
• “The company will increase the share of green electricity at its sites to 80% by 2025 and to 100% by 2030 (compared to 4% in the base year 2020).” In 2023, the share of green electricity throughout the group was 50%.
• “The company will also reduce CO₂e emissions in its upstream and downstream value creation chain (Scope 3) by more than half by 2030 (-56% compared to the base year 2020).” To achieve that, MartinBauer is working with its raw materials partners to develop best practices and cooperating closely with its customers.
• “By 2030, the company will reduce emissions from forestry, land use and agriculture (FLAG) by 56% compared to the base year 2020.” To achieve that, MartinBauer is investing its energies in innovative concepts such as agroforestry, compost management, building humus in the soil, and sustainable carbon sequestration.
• “The company also pledges to obtain 100% of its primary raw materials from deforestation-free supply chains by December 31, 2025.” To achieve that goal, MartinBauer’s supply chain experts are further developing the company’s international analysis and risk management systems. In those supply chains that are certified in line with the company’s own mabagrown sourcing standard, the principle of verified deforestation-free supply chains has been in place since 2014. 

Validated climate goals for 2040 (SBTi long-term targets and net-zero targets)

• “By 2040, the company will reduce its CO₂e emissions in Scopes 1, 2 and 3 and its FLAG emissions by 90% compared to the base year 2020.”
• “In accordance with the SBTi standards, the company also commits to a net-zero target: by 2040 it will reduce its CO₂e emissions by 90% and will compensate for the remaining 10% through effective, long-lasting measures that remove CO₂e from the atmosphere or sequester them over the long term.”

Climate neutrality by 2030

Going above and beyond the climate targets that have been validated by the SBTi, MartinBauer has also set itself the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2030 with its Go Zero campaign. As well as achieving its ambitious CO₂e reduction goals, the company intends to compensate for any remaining emissions. To do so, it will invest in credible CO₂e compensation projects that comply with recognized standards – primarily projects within the nature network’s supply chains. 

About the SBTi

The leader in its field, the SBTi assesses and validates companies’ climate targets using the latest scientific findings and methods. It was founded as a joint project of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). MartinBauer, Finzelberg and Europlant Group joined the initiative in April 2022. 

The significance of validation

SBTi validation is an important part of a company’s climate protection efforts, ensuring it makes a genuine contribution to achieving the aims of the Paris Agreement. The SBTi considers the size of the company and its sector in order to assess the contribution that should be made. The SBTi’s robust framework and uniform guidelines allow for comparison between individual companies’ climate protection efforts. 

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