19422_Aartsen_NSFM-Happiness-juli-2022_Compleet_LR-web-spread

nonstop
fresh/
magazine
for the fresh
produce sector
August 2022
How to grow
happiness.
The magazine that
makes you happy

A growing partnership
we are really grapeful for.

Jack.
For
Happiness and kindness
It’s simple but true: happiness is a big positive and a
hugely important factor in everyone’s lives. However,
reality is sometimes a little more complex: we don’t have
a switch that enables us to adjust our happiness levels
up or down. So, what better theme to choose than one
that might seem easy but is actually very difficult?
one person, happiness is a ray of sun, for another a smile and
for yet another an expensive new car. Happiness is very personal
and can change with time and depending on how someone is
feeling. I feel happiest around people with a positive attitude than
gloom merchants - and there are a lot of those. I see happiness
more in the future than in the past, more in innovation than in
standing still, more in standing out from the crowd than following
the crowd, more in solutions than excuses and - finally - more in
the long-term than the short-term. This guides how I live my life
and extends into my working life here at Aartsen too. I have a huge
amount of respect for people who manage to stay positive even when
they’re going through difficult times. I also respect people who are
going through problems in their private or work lives and find a way
of turning their situations around.
With a mindset like this, positivity often paves the way for renewed
happiness. Unfortunately, this is something that we here at Aartsen
experienced after the loss of our colleague Dennis. I’m very proud
of how everyone at Aartsen has come together to process this loss.
And, as strange as it might seem, the major, insurmountable grief
we have all felt has had its positive aspects as well.
We have every reason to be happy at Aartsen at the moment.
Our motto is ‘Let’s Grow Together’. It’s wonderful to see that we really
are growing together: with our customers, our partners in every
corner of the world and with everyone here at Aartsen. I can’t tell
you how happy it makes me to see the great achievements the
passionate people at Aartsen deliver every day. It’s quite something!
Working hard every day, our people start early and sometimes stay
late as well, but they’re always happy.
Here at Aartsen, we laugh and cry together. But we always make sure
we do fun things together too.
Nonstopfresh
magazine is
published by
Aartsen Breda B.V.
Heilaar-Noordweg 9
4814 RR Breda
PO Box 9555
4801 LN Breda
www.aartsen.com
marketing@aartsen.com
Editor in chief
Jack Aartsen
Editorial Board
Sophie Bruijns
Hans de Regt
Lodewijk Varossieau
Text
Donuts for Chelsea,
Stefan Verhaar
Het Champagne Atelier,
Natascha Droste
Translation
Metamorfose
Vertalingen B.V.
Photography
Frank Poppelaars
Design &
realisation
Just in Case Communicatie B.V.
Breda
www.jicc.nl
SuperRebel B.V.
Breda
www.superrebel.com
Looking ahead, coming up with the next cunning plan and working
on our continued success. There’s plenty for us to do. The biggest
challenge we face is the going live of our Fresh ERP system, which
we have developed ourselves. Once that’s done, we’ll be ready to
take other big new strides forward with IT. Other things to keep us
busy: our new-build plans, attending trade fairs in Madrid and
Bangkok this year and training a large number of new people and
making sure they integrate well into our organisation. So, as I’ve
already said before: there’s never a boring moment at Aartsen!
My message: be nice, listen carefully and do your best to
understand others.
I’d like to end by wishing you all a little more happiness.
But remember, it’s up to you to make it happen!
Enjoy the read!
Jack Aartsen
4 COLOPHON NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS JACK’S COLUMN 5

56
Ambitious
approach to
food waste.
Sustainable with Syngenta.
20
Meet
Stefan Duyf.
Index
‘As a coach and People Manager,
you need to know where everyone
is in the game.’
25 Guest column
Laughter is the best vitamin of all.
26 Costumer in the picture
Where others stop, BE Fresh keeps going.
30 Aartsen Kids Foundation
15 years and still growing.
35 Jack’s nonstopfresh vibes
Enjoy the ultimate happiness music list.
36 Maarten Meiners top athlete
‘If you really want something, nothing is impossible’.
42 Young student in the spotlight
‘Your work needs to be alive in order to grow’.
50 Supplier in the picture
Premium cherries, a happiness fruit.
54 Aartsen puzzles
Can you find the happiness?
64 Aartsen talents
On a journey of discovery with Thierry.
70 Young student in the spotlight
Happiness is around the corner.
72 Plantbased
2 nd chance for wasted bananas.
79 Asia column
From country to country with Aartsen Asia.
86 The world of Aartsen
The latest news.
80
Everybody
goes
bananas.
Cheers to happiness.
08
The happiness effect
of fruit and vegetables.
Four happy hormones.
46
Singing
in the
rain.
She brightens up
the room!
6 INDEX NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS INDEX 7

The happiness effect of fruit and vegetables.
On
cloud nine
with
avocado.
We all know that fruit and vegetables are good for us.
Vitamins, minerals, fibre, other nutrients – essential parts
of our diet. They keep us fit, healthy and full of energy.
But did you know that fruit and vegetables also make us
happy? This is a great added bonus from Mother Nature.
An avocado is one of the vegetables that boosts your
happiness. Why do avocados make you feel happy?
And what other varieties of fruit and vegetables boost
happiness?
8 THE HAPPINESS EFFECT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES NSFM HAPPINESS

Four happy
hormones.
The secret lies in a happy chemical produced in
the body when you eat certain types of fruit and
vegetables. We call it a happy chemical, but it’s
really a happy hormone. But what exactly is a
happy hormone?
Hormones are substances produced by the body
and circulated in the blood to control bodily
functions.
Their functions include enabling us to feel different
emotions. Some hormones help you to experience
stress or fear, while others keep you feeling safe or
happy. The most important four happy hormones
are dopamine, serotonin, endorphin and oxytocin.
Eating an avocado boosts production of dopamine
in your body, this is affecting how you feel.
Endorphin
- from pain to happiness
When you feel pain, your body will step up its endorphin
production. This is because endorphin has analgesic
effects. What’s more, it boosts your immune system and
gives you a happy feeling. This is in part due to it inhibiting
stress hormone production. Endorphin is also released
when you are in love. By making you feel good when you
are with your love interest, it keeps you together.
There are various foods that boost endorphin production,
including chocolate, crisps and fast food. Healthier foods
can also boost endorphin production, such as red chilli
peppers. They work in a unique way: chillies trigger pain
receptors, prompting your body to produce endorphin,
which then gives you that good feeling. Pumpkin seeds
affect endorphin production too.
Let’s go
bananas!
Banana’s contain
Dopamine & Serotonin
Sweet oh
sweet love.
Sweet potatoes
contain Serotonin
From pain to
happiness.
Red chili peppers
contain Endorphin
Every seed
counts.
Pumpkin seeds contain
Serotonin and endorphin
Dopamine
- a wave of happiness
Dopamine is a happy hormone that rises and falls rapidly.
It gives you a quick, brief ‘hit’ of happiness. Once your
body learns to recognise how this feeling is triggered,
it will seek out that stimulus again and again.
Hence, dopamine levels are not constantly up; they serve
as a reward for eating, exercise, sex, being in love and
using your smartphone (getting a text or a like). In a certain
sense, dopamine is addictive, as people constantly want
to get the good feeling it gives them by repeating the
behaviour. That is why some people find themselves
constantly glued to their smartphones. Dopamine production
is boosted by foods containing antioxidants (which ensure
that dopamine production is not inhibited), like avocados.
However, they are also found in carrots, bananas, pulses,
apples and green vegetables.
Oxytocin
- connecting and embracing
The fourth happy hormone is no different to the three
happy hormones mentioned above in terms of its effect.
Oxytocin plays a significant role in our connection with
and behaviour around other people. Maternal bonds,
friendships and romance are stimulated by oxytocin.
The substance is released when you hug or cuddle
someone. Touch and physical contact are important,
giving you influence over the production of this hormone.
Science has not yet identified any foods that encourage
oxytocin production.
Let the sun
shine.
Sunflower seeds
contain Serotonin
Orange
happiness.
Carrots contain
Dopamine
An apple
a day …
Apples contain
Dopamine
Green green
happiness.
Green vegetables
contain Dopamine
Serotonin
- secure and satisfied
Serotonin makes you feel safe, secure and satisfied.
A serotonin deficit will be immediately obvious to you.
It will leave you feeling anxious, depressed and having
difficulty sleeping. It is abundantly clear that we need to
produce serotonin in sufficient quantities. How do you
ensure that your body has enough of this hormone?
Eating bananas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sweet
potatoes and chickpeas will boost your serotonin levels.
Every pulse
you take.
Pulses contain
Dopamine
Safety first.
Chickpeas contain
Serotonin
The members of the editorial team are not experts in biology, physics and medical science.
This article was written based on the knowledge available to us and our own insights, interpretation and experience.
NSFM HAPPINESS THE HAPPINESS EFFECT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES 11

‘Happiness
is nothing more
than good health
and a bad
memory.’
Albert Schweitzer
The basis of our own computer system
for the commercial, logistical and
administrative processes is almost
complete.
After a period of research, analysis,
development and testing, we will start
using ‘Fresh’ this year.
We are trading up from a 90s VW Polo
to a full option racing car.
This is not the end but just the beginning…
12 JACK’S FAVORITE QUOTE #1 NSFM HAPPINESS NSFM HAPPINESS FRESH 13

14 FRESH NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS FRESH 15

‘The time of
boring broccoli
is over.’
Bimi ® is set to
take over the world
- and fill it with
happiness.
When you think of a romantic love story, you probably don’t expect
it to be about a vegetable. But with Bimi ® , it was love at first sight.
The story starts in the late 80 s , with Japanese seed
company Sakata. In their ‘Time to Dream’ programme,
Sakata gave plant breeders the freedom to cast aside
the rule book and play! The result? A natural hybrid
that looks like the love baby born of a broccoli and an
asparagus plant: Bimi ® , the happiest, greenest, most
vibrant vegetable you can imagine.
Never had Bimi ® before? Imagine broccoli’s looks
combined with asparagus’ crunch. Now add a sweet,
succulent and nutty flavour, all coming together in the
brightest green you can imagine. That is Bimi ® .
Nice to meet you, too!
After the natural breeding process was optimised and
perfected, Bimi ® arrived in Europe to bring happiness to
the world. An important cause, because there is nothing
not to like about Bimi ® . Theresa Richards, Marketing
Manager of Bimi ® , is passionate about this little green
veg: ‘Bimi ® looks good, tastes amazing and is easy
to cook. You can use all of it, leaving no waste, and
making it much more sustainable than regular broccoli.
If you have ever seen Bimi ® served on a plate, you will
know what I mean. It looks so pretty.’
‘With this healthy,
easy vegetable,
you level up
your food game
within minutes.’
16 BRANDS-BIMI NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS BRANDS-BIMI 17

The finer
things in life.
‘If you enjoy and
appreciate the finer
things in life, you will
opt for a premium
product like
Bimi ® .’
A pretty vegetable that is easy to cook and tastes good.
Great, but didn’t we have enough of those already?
Not if you ask Theresa: ‘Nothing compares to Bimi ® .
If you enjoy and appreciate the finer things in life, you
will opt for a premium product like Bimi ® . But Bimi ® is
also a great product to have on stand-by if you have a
busy life, don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, but
still want to prepare a nutritious meal. With this healthy,
easy vegetable, you level up your food game within minutes.’
Nutritional Information Bimi ® is high in fibre, protein
and folate. It’s a great source of vitamin A and C. On top
of that, it is a great source of potassium, meaning that it
helps maintain blood pressure. The only things it lacks
are calories and fat. But we think you won’t mind that :).
The happiness Bimi ® brings, doesn’t stop here.
Theresa: ‘Growing Bimi ® requires true love and care.
A Bimi ® plant is used three to four times before it is
finished, which means farmers benefit from growing
Bimi ® over other vegetables. It’s handpicked, taken
care of by hand and it leaves no waste. You can eat
the whole stem. Even raw it tastes delicious.’
Our favourite way to prepare Bimi ® ? On the barbecue.
Bring out the nutty flavour by drizzling some olive oil and
sprinkling sea salt over it. Grill the Bimi ® for a few minutes
on the barbecue. It’s an all-time favourite recipe.
A new market But before we all ditch the broccoli and
start stocking up on Bimi ® , you may have noticed that
this little vegetable is still very much a premium product.
If you ask Theresa, that’s a good thing: ‘The care and
love we put into our products also means that we’re
growing slowly. We want to assure that our customers
only take the best Bimi ® home with them. Consequently,
our licensed growers and suppliers are a small group,
limiting our growth. And that’s okay, because we prefer
quality over quantity. We want to create a brand that is
around for the long term.’
A well-marketed vegetable No other vegetable in the
world is probably as broadly marketed as Bimi ® . The UK
company Coregeo is responsible for managing the
royalties, licenses and marketing for Bimi ® in Europe.
Bimi ® or Tenderstem ® broccoli? While Bimi ® is taking
over the European market, you won’t find it in stores in
the UK. There, and also in Ireland and South Africa,
Bimi ® is known as Tenderstem ® broccoli. Just as tender,
from tip to stem. And if you ever hear someone say
broccolini, know that it can be any variety!
Literally delicious In case you’ve missed the point:
Bimi ® is delicious. Literally, because ‘bimi’ means
‘delicious’ in Japanese. It’s the easy, good-looking
ingredient that you can enjoy in any meal. Which meal
that should be? It doesn’t matter, because this versatile
vegetable tastes great in nearly everything. Try adding
Bimi ® to a curry or risotto for extra crunch and colour.
Steam it with salt, lemon and feta cheese or serve it
as a side dish or in a salad. You can even eat Bimi ® for
breakfast: on a slice of bread with poached eggs or
smoked salmon. Doesn’t that sound delicious indeed?!
According to Theresa, another reason to like Bimi ® is
that it’s so easy to cook: ‘You can’t go wrong preparing it.
When you accidentally overcook Bimi ® , its green colour
becomes even more vibrant. Unlike broccoli, which
becomes a depressing shade of grey when it’s overcooked.
The time of boring broccoli is over.’
Nevertheless, true happiness is contagious and so
Bimi ® ’s popularity is on the rise. According to the current
projection, the company will grow by 34% the coming
year. Spread the love, Bimi ® , spread the love.
Whether you’re crazy about cooking healthy, vegan, or
quick-and-easy, all food lovers will enjoy discovering
more Bimi ® recipes here.
The business relationship between Aartsen and Bimi ® has
been a strong one for many years and Theresa is thankful
for the opportunities that Aartsen has given them: ‘A very
strong retail business like Aartsen has opened up doors
to markets that we wouldn’t have accessed without
them, including (and not limited to) wholesalers, smaller
independent grocery stores, fruit vendors, catering and
hospitality companies and online sellers. As one of our
longest standing licensees, Aartsen has played a key role
in promoting our brand values. Without their support, we
wouldn’t have such a stable and solid business for Bimi ®
in Europe.’
18 BRANDS-BIMI NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS BRANDS-BIMI 19

‘As a coach and a
People Manager,
you need to know
where everyone
is in the game.’
Stefan Duyf (39) has taken on the role of People
Manager at Aartsen since 1 February. He lives in
Berkel-Enschot with his wife and 2.5-year-old twins,
in an old farm that has finally reached the last phase
of its much-needed renovation.
The prospect of returning to normal life and continuing
to throw himself into his new job gives him a good
feeling. ‘After my hockey career, I’m happy to have
the security of a job. And I already feel that I’m
making an impact. That’s a good feeling.’
Stefan started playing hockey when he was seven.
But the decision to end his career 30 years later was
something he really hadn’t seen that coming. ‘If you had
asked me to make the switch a year ago, I would have
said no. But things change, and when new possibilities
come your way, it makes you think. The sports world
has its ups and downs, and I’m glad to be free of that
uncertainty. I also have duties and responsibilities towards
my family: I’m 39 and still have my whole future ahead
of me.’
20 HEALTH NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS HEALTH 21

Impact through connection
As People Manager, Stefan is responsible for involving
employees at Aartsen. Stefan: ‘I’m what you could call a
connector. I seek out connection with people, colleagues
and team members. I think it’s important to know where
people are in the game. That sounds a lot like building a
team, doesn’t it? It doesn’t matter if you’re a coach or a
People Manager. You have to be able to level with and
connect to the people around you. And Aartsen currently
has 235 employees who each have their own story:
personal, work-related, with many or few setbacks.
I can really put my knowledge, discipline and experience
of top-level hockey to good use here.’
He is also responsible for happiness in the workplace.
Not necessarily an easy task, says Stefan. ‘Happiness in
the workplace is pretty intangible. You find it in various
things, such as appreciation. When I look at the people
who work here, I see nice people – good people who are
willing to invest in each other. But sometimes, you can
see the small flaws, for example when communication
breaks down due to work pressure. A compliment
comes in handy at times like that. People thrive with
a bit of appreciation, whether it’s a salary increase or
a sincere compliment. But it’s also important to know
what other people want and feel. And you need to take
time for each other to do that: both in terms of the
content of the job and in a personal capacity.’
Structure and transparency
So there is a lot for Stefan to do. ‘Aartsen has an
extremely strong foundation. It’s a successful company,
truly a well-oiled machine. People are given a warm
welcome, and I’m in the process of rewriting several
training courses in order to customise the onboarding.
But it’s such a big company, and people usually work on
their own little island. In the office, they often don’t know
what’s happening in the warehouse, and the people in
the warehouse don’t always understand the decisions
made in the office. An order picker doesn’t think about
the turnover, but still needs to understand where the
turnover targets come from. It’s a very special project
that aims to streamline the lines of communication and
implement them as early as possible in the onboarding
process. Incidentally, this idea has existed for some time
within Aartsen’s philosophy. It’s up to me to work out
the details.’
There is also a geographical difference between the
Aartsen locations. ‘HR doesn’t just look at absenteeism
and time recording. We also need to know what’s going
on, and not just within our own branch. Visiting the other
locations shows that we are making the effort to see
how our colleagues are doing and find out what is going
on in the workplace. Engaging in conversation in the
workplace gives you much more relevant information.
What’s more, so many great tools are available for
systematically bringing more structure and transparency
into the company, which in turn ensures that people
continue to talk to each other. With a new HRM software
package, I hope to be able to make a good impact here.’
The future of a traditional sector
With the future in mind, Stefan also looks ahead to
the various standards and values he can see in the
workplace. ‘Fruit and vegetables is a traditional sector
that has been around for hundreds of years. But we
also need to think about what the future will bring. Several
new generations are now ready to enter the workplace.
These people don’t have the same standards, values and
lifestyles as the older generation. You need to respond to
this: how will they behave alongside the older generation,
who are still happy to work 60 hours a week? It’s up to us
to anticipate this as an organisation. The new generation
is the future. And the future for Stefan himself? ‘I hope for
a healthy and happy work-life balance. And maybe I’ll soon
be running around after a ball with the children again.’
Quote:
‘Sometimes, you see the
communication breaking down
due to work pressure. A compliment
comes in handy at times like that.’
22 HEALTH NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS HEALTH 23

You’re
invited
to grow
with us.
See you in Madrid
Rob.
Laughter is the best vitamin of all
‘It was so great to be able to laugh out loud again
last evening. Thanks for that.’ A surprising number
of people came up to tell me something similar
after my theatre shows over the past few months.
Comedy audiences hadn’t had the opportunity to
laugh out loud and have someone put their worries
in perspective for a long time, so they really
appreciate these shows.
I totally get that. Fruit and vegetable wholesalers supply
vitamin A and C, but comedians supply people with
laughter, which is probably the best vitamin of all.
That’s why it’s so important that comedians get to say
what they want. Laughter is good for the immune system
and reduces stress. Our body also produces the feel-good
hormone endorphins every time we laugh. That’s more
effective than any therapy or medicine.
So does that mean you can just prescribe everyone the
same laughter medicine? No, obviously not. That really
depends on your personal taste. Some people enjoy
edgy, sarcastic humour, while someone else might fall
off the couch laughing when they hear a lame pun.
It’s like fruit: some kinds just taste better than others.
In fact, there’s kinds of fruit I can’t even physically stomach.
For example, my gums just start curling up every time
I eat an unripe banana. I have no idea why. I get blisters
on my lips and my tongue swells up to bizarre proportions.
Not to mention the gruesome scenes that tend to unfold
in the house’s smallest room soon after. Let’s just put it
down to a simple allergic reaction. I don’t run to a doctor
or psychiatrist to complain about my banana issue.
I also don’t expect any apologies from the fruit supplier.
Finally, I certainly don’t demand that all of the nation’s
fruit wholesalers adjust their product range because I
don’t want to have to deal with unripe bananas.
I just don’t eat any unripe bananas, simple as that.
So why doesn’t that same approach work in the world
of comedy? These days, comedy seems to be under
siege from every direction by a small group of allergic
people. All because some people’s gums apparently curl
up when they hear a joke they consider to be really
offensive. I don’t get that. After all, why not just decide
not to read a newspaper column, or not to watch that
controversial TV program? No one is being forced to
watch a specific YouTube clip or political cartoon, just
like no one can force me to eat unripe bananas.
Please just let comedians do their job, even if it’s not
necessarily your style of humour. Unfortunately, the last few
years have shown us what happens to a society when
laughter fades away. We became a bunch of grumpy,
whining, suspicious and introverted people.
Fruit
attraction
4-6 October
Meet us in our stand
People desperately need comedy, satire, ridicule and a
healthy sense of perspective to keep us in good mental
and physical shape. Just like fruit and vegetables, some
jokes unfortunately just taste better than others.
Still, a big smile a day keeps the doctor away!
Rob Scheepers is a comedian who makes
both theater and television shows.
Rob is also a ‘tonpraoter’ (a comedy style
at Dutch carnival), a fanatic Twitter user and
columnist for magazines and radio shows.
NSFM HAPPINESS GUEST COLUMN 25

International air freight expert from De Lier
Where
others stop,
BE Fresh
keeps
going.
The windows in BE Fresh’s modern office stretch
from the ceiling to the floor. This offers a great
view of company’s front courtyard.
As nonstopfresh magazine talks extensively with
Ard Bergwerff about his business, its unique
proposition and approach, an Aartsen lorry drives
up to unload some fresh cargo. ‘We do what we
do, because we are convinced that we can do it
better than anyone else.
Our partners play an important role in our success,
and that includes partners like Aartsen.’ These are
the words of Ard Bergwerff, who together with his
brother Hans is the founder and owner of BE Fresh
Produce in De Lier, the Netherlands.
Fruit and vegetables are more than just business
‘We often see our products as nothing more than business. But I think
fruit and vegetables are very special products. We sometimes lose sight
of that within the industry. Not only are they very tasty and beautiful
products, they offer health benefits as well. My brother and I think it’s
important to highlight that, which is why we have so many stories on our
website about the backgrounds and added value of fruits and vegetables.’
www.befreshproduce.com/stories
Ard Bergwerff
26 CUSTOMER IN THE PICTURE NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS CUSTOMER IN THE PICTURE 27

System designed for air freight
BE Fresh exports fruit and vegetables to more than
30 countries. The destinations are all overseas, mostly
in Asia and the Middle East, along with a few countries
in Africa. ‘Because freshness is so important, we transport
all of our products via air freight. Our entire system is
designed for this. Air freight is challenging: we have to
deal with strict requirements, legislation, documents,
certifications, air freight safety and special packaging.
But once you get the hang of it, you’re a pro’, Ard explains.
Freshness-sensitive products in
smaller volumes
‘The products are very sensitive to freshness, and
our customers typically do not order them in large
quantities. Our most popular products are lettuce,
mushrooms, herbs, special tomatoes and soft fruit.
We also have products like oranges, bananas and
apples. Some customers get these products from
us because they don’t want to purchase them in the
large volumes they are traded in. They can buy smaller
volumes from us. We ship carefully assembled pallets.
We also have several strong in-house brands, so our
customers know exactly what to expect.’
The bigger the niche
Before Ard and Hans started BE Fresh, Ard worked at
The Greenery. His father was director of the Overseas
department there, and Ard was jointly responsible for
overseas trade. The Greenery has many private growers
and its own import company. But not every customer
request could be honoured. This is all because of The
Greenery’s size and philosophy, as they primarily sell
their ‘own products’. The Bergwerff brothers became
convinced that they could do better, and they have
been proving that with BE Fresh since 2010. Where
others stop, they keep going. ‘We wanted to truly help
our customers by delivering the products they really
want. The tougher the request, the bigger the niche
and the less competition you have. We went looking
for the difficult things and exporting them to countries
where import regulations are sometimes very demanding,
and now we provide full logistics services for numerous
customers. With chilled fresh products, that can be
quite a challenge.’
Challenges and delays
‘It’s impossible to fully control the cold chain with air
freight. Our warehouse is perfectly cooled. We also make
sure the lorries are at the right temperature, which is
something we check with the drivers as well. But then
the products arrive at an airport and it’s out of our hands.
There’s always the risk of delays and not many products
can stand heat. But we pack our products in special
ways to preserve the quality as best as possible. We
have a “cool team” that takes care of this. The orders
also have temperature recorders that monitor the
temperature, so we can intervene if needed.’
Maximum freshness
‘To maximise freshness, we aim to keep the purchasing
chain as short as possible. Especially when it comes
to Dutch products, we try to buy directly from growers
whenever we can. We select them very carefully. The
advantage is that we can coordinate with the grower to
get a customer’s product exactly how they want it.
We need partners for imports, of course, and Aarsten
is a preferred supplier. They have the same philosophy:
the quality is top priority. The products may cost a bit
more, but the quality is high and the shelf life is excellent.
We really enjoy working with Aartsen. Since they always
have the same brands, we’re also able to remain reliable
for our customers. Aartsen is a good partner. They think
just like we do when it comes to lots of things.’
Growth
There’s something else BE Fresh has in common with
Aartsen: the pursuit of responsible growth. Ard explains:
‘I think steady growth is the best kind: a little more every
year. That way the organisation can grow in tandem
with the finances. Good people are crucial in this regard.
They are what makes or breaks a company.
We want to continuously improve our organisation.
Our people are incredibly important, and that is why we
invest in their growth.’
Happy entrepreneur
‘Look, I think growth is important, but for me it’s really not
about having the highest revenue and profit. What matters
to me is that our 60-plus employees are enthusiastic about
their work and enjoy tackling challenges, that BE Fresh has
a good atmosphere and that everything goes smoothly.
In other words: satisfied suppliers and customers, but
also an enthusiastic team of our own. We spend so much
time working and I think it’s a waste if people are just
going through the motions. When I see that we’re all
able to have fun with it, it makes me happy as a person
and as an entrepreneur.’
28 CUSTOMER IN THE PICTURE NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS CUSTOMER IN THE PICTURE 29

15 years
Aartsen
Kids
Foundation
and still
growing.
A real milestone
What could be more rewarding than making a child’s dreams come true? Doing something that
helps others and that really makes a difference? To celebrate the centenary of Aartsen in 2007,
Hellen Aartsen launched the Aartsen Kids Foundation. Not knowing that now, 15 years later, it
would still be such a huge success. ‘For me, it’s time to move on but, luckily, I know I’m leaving
things in the safe hands of my young and enthusiastic colleagues.’ Meet Synthia van Breemen
and Soof van der Put, and find out about the future plans of this brilliant foundation.
All four women radiate a passion for the part that they play in Aartsen Kids Foundation.
Annick Bezemer has been involved with the foundation from the outset: ‘I’m lucky enough to
have had a great childhood, but the older you get, the more you realise how important that is
and that many people haven’t been as lucky as you.’ So, when Aartsen started looking for new
people to work for the foundation, she didn’t think twice. ‘Even close to home, there’s so much
you can do to help others.’
30 AARTSEN KIDS FOUNDATION NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS AARTSEN KIDS FOUNDATION 31

Happy Child
Voyage of discovery
Synthia
Soof
Annick
All women
radiate
a passion for
the part that
they play
in Aartsen Kids
Foundation.
Do you know someone you’d like to make happy?
And why do you want to make them happy?
Hellen and Annick look back with gratitude to Aartsen
Kids Foundation’s very first project. With the ‘Happy
Child’ project, they started small with the help of the
children of Aartsen’s employees. Hellen: ‘In this initiative,
children were asked to suggest other children who
needed our help.’ From a tandem for a visually impaired
child to a Barbie for a friend of the sports club, the
organisation took all the ideas on board to make the
project a success. The children themselves handed
out the surprises, which brought a huge amount of joy.
Annick: ‘One child literally made another child happy.
To this day, we’re still impressed by what we managed
to achieve through this project. At that time everyone
who worked at Aartsen was involved and it really made
people happy.’
Ground-breaking
The employees of Aartsen Kids Foundation were
delighted to have got the ball rolling. It was an amazing
achievement. ‘But increasingly we asked ourselves:
How can we really make a difference? Not just to a
handful of children but to a far larger group?’
The first links were forged with social services and
this proved to be ground-breaking for the foundation.
It grew from small-scale to large, commercial projects.
From a personal learning process which aimed to help
make children happy to a professional organisation that
makes a difference to kids from all kinds of different
backgrounds. ‘We started to think far more in terms
of concepts. Social workers were our eyes and ears,
they put kids forward and we were engaged to provide
support through one of our four projects.’
New faces
With the help of the fresh, new perspective of
colleagues Synthia van Breemen and Soof van
der Put, over the next few years, Aartsen Kids
Foundation will embark on a new journey. Synthia has
been involved with our organisation for ten years now
and started working for the foundation back in March:
‘It’s so rewarding to think that what I do in my work can
really make a difference to children’. Soof has recently
started fulfilling two roles at Aartsen: in the marketing
department and for Aartsen Kids Foundation.
‘For the foundation, I’ll mainly be doing a lot of
operational tasks and my main aim will be to raise the
profile of the foundation among Aartsen’s employees.’
Aartsen Kids Foundation runs four projects, which focus
on: school supplies for secondary school pupils, the
organisation of children’s birthday parties, the giving of
presents in December and Cool Treats. Hellen and
Annick may be taking a step back, but Synthia and Soof
will carry on their work with renewed vigour.
Synthia is really looking forward to the school visits
that she’ll be making as part of the “Cool Treats project”.
Annick will remain involved as coordinator and will share
valuable experiences with her new colleagues:
‘This project was born out of our intrinsic motivation.
In an earlier project with the theme children with a
healthy weight we had children playing sports
supervised by sports instructors and experts in nutrition.
We realised at that time that there was a real lack of
knowledge around these topics among both parents
and children. In consultation with doctors, teachers and
experts, we devised a learning programme which would
create an environment in which children themselves
could discover just how tasty and healthy fruit actually
is. In this learning programme we take children aged
between seven and ten on a journey into the world of
fruit and veg. Through games, stories and videos, they
go on a voyage of discovery to explore the benefits of
fruit and veg. And we’ve now rolled this out nationwide.’
The learning programme still stands and it’s up to
Synthia and Soof to raise the profile of the project.
The future
The future of the foundation looks bright. Hellen:
‘I’m moving on, but I’ll be only too happy to remain
involved in the fabulous projects that we do for the
foundation.’ The professionalisation efforts that have
taken place over the past 15 years have provided a
strong foundation for us to build on. Synthia adds:
‘We have loads of ideas and we want to get Aartsen’s
employees involved, so they feel more connected to
our foundation and can tell us where we can be of use.’
If you have a bright idea for Aartsen Kids Foundation
please share it with us by emailing to
info@aartsenkidsfoundation.nl.
15 years of AKF:
300 children’s dreams fulfilled in the first 9 years.
Trips, Redecorating and furnishing children’s rooms,
Purchase of clothing and shoes, Playground,
Swimming with dolphins, Holidays, Purchase of a sports
wheelchair, Sensory rooms, Fruit and veg. sponsorship,
Sports and hobbies, Kitchen garden.
From 2016:
5,000 children have gone on a voyage of discovery
with a Cool Treats learning package.
Over 700 birthday parties were organised.
1,600 children have been made happy with presents
in December.
32 AARTSEN KIDS FOUNDATION NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS AARTSEN KIDS FOUNDATION 33

Jack’s nonstopfresh vibes
‘Most folks
are as happy
as they make up
their minds
to be.’
Abraham Lincoln
Jack has compiled his ultimate happiness music list
especially for this edition of the nonstopfresh magazine.
On this list you can find delicious happiness
nonstopfresh music.
Enjoy this list in your Spotify this summer!
34 JACK’S FAVORITE QUOTE #2 NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS JACK’S NONSTOPFRESH VIBES 35

Alpine skier Maarten Meiners on the mindset of a top athlete:
‘If you
really want
something,
nothing is
impossible.’
Maarten Meiners
On TV, alpine skiing certainly looks impressive. At a dizzying speed of sometimes
more than 160 kilometres per hour, the skiers get off to a flying start before
completing the slalom course. Amersfoort-based Maarten Meiners (30) made
a name for himself among a wider audience during the past Olympic Games,
when he achieved an admirable 18 th place on the world stage. If this top
athlete has taught me anything, it is that you should never give up your dreams:
‘If there is something you want to achieve, if you have a dream, always keep going.’
36 MAARTEN MEINERS TOP ATHLETE NSFM HAPPINESS

‘Sometimes we get up
at 4:30 in the morning.’
The seeds of his top sports career were planted during
a winter sports holiday with his parents. ‘I enjoyed being
on the skis right away. Once I got home, I kept it up.
I learned quickly and ultimately ended up in the junior
selection of the Dutch Ski Federation.’ From then on,
Maarten took a step forward in his professional career
every year. ‘I never lost my taste for it, and always
wanted to improve my skills.’ His approach is certainly
bearing fruit: ‘This allowed me to climb a little higher in
the world rankings every year.’
The road that Maarten is taking, is not an easy one.
‘The Netherlands is not a winter sports country. Compared
with countries such as Austria, Switzerland and Italy, we
don’t tend to do much skiing at a young age. So you need
to train a lot to reach the same level.’ He is now one of the
best skiers in the Netherlands. ‘Skiing in the mountains,
constantly pushing my limits and measuring myself against
the rest of the world, yes, I find that very cool.’
Highlight of his career
In spite of his difficult path to the top, Maarten is
certainly not letting himself be knocked out of the
field. ‘You’re not just a top athlete “part-time”, you
do it 24/7. You need to put everything into your sport.
You need to train a lot, but also rest, sleep and eat well.
Because I get so much enjoyment out of my sport,
I don’t mind putting a lot of time into it and working
on it intensively. If I didn’t enjoy it, I simply couldn’t
maintain this lifestyle.’
In the period ahead, Maarten will focus on the World
Cups. ‘There are World Cup competitions every two
years. In the slightly longer term, I want to focus on the
next Olympic Games.’ The past Olympic Games were
an absolute highlight of Maarten’s career. ‘It was great
to be able to do what I enjoy most at the highest level in
the world. Hopefully, in four years’ time, I will be able to
do better and achieve an even more impressive result.’
It was also unique, as no Dutchman has featured at the
start of the giant slalom since 1952.
Training at sunrise
Sport is a major part of Maarten’s life. His Instagram
feed is packed with sporting photos. They include skiing,
of course, but also kite surfing, cycling and sailing.
Does sport give him that typical feeling of happiness?
‘Certainly it does!’ replies Maarten with conviction.
‘Our training sessions on the glaciers is a good example.
Sometimes we get up at 4:30 in the morning and go to
the mountain. Once we’re there, the sun slowly rises
and we start our training. At times like that, in such a
beautiful setting, I think: ‘Wow, it’s amazing that I get to
do this here.’ You don’t get opportunities like that often
in life, so I enjoy it all the more as a result.’
This is just one example of thousands. ‘Getting a good
result in a competition also gives me a certain kick.
Getting to grips with a difficult slope and constantly
improving my time. These are all things that can make
me feel happy. But being with my girlfriend, family
or friends is very valuable too. I’m on the road a lot,
so when we can be together, I’m happy.’
Enjoy what you do
So does his (sporting) happiness only exist if he is doing
something at the highest level? ‘No’, says Maarten.
‘I think you can always enjoy the things you’re doing,
no matter what. Personally, I’m not the best cyclist,
but I enjoy cycling partly for my training and partly for
pleasure. If friends enjoy spending time on the slopes
on a winter holiday, that’s wonderful too, isn’t it?
In my view, you really don’t always need to achieve a
good result. Enjoying what you do is the most important
thing, and that can be done at any level.’
Finally, does Maarten have any advice for the reader?
‘If there is something you want to achieve, if you have
a dream, always keep going. Then you could say that
nothing is impossible. Perhaps I could have been at the
Games eight or four years ago, but that didn’t work out.
I didn’t let that stop me, I kept going and just trained
harder. That’s how I ultimately ended up at the last Games.
In the end, it’s largely about the path you take, not just
the result. But in order to achieve what you want in life,
it’s important to work hard and not give up.’
38 MAARTEN MEINERS TOP ATHLETE NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS MAARTEN MEINERS TOP ATHLETE 39

Aartsen since 1907
Actually it kept us fresh and innovative.
We are more nonstopfresh than ever and look
forward to growing together in the next 115 years.
40 115 YEARS AARTSEN NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS 115 YEARS AARTSEN 41

‘Young talented student’s
work needs to be alive
in order to grow.’
Ids van den Booren (22) is a student at St Joost art
academy in Breda. His assignment: taking a photograph
of an avocado. He basically had free reign to approach
the subject however he liked.
‘I started brainstorming about a photographic concept.
If I have a good idea, I’ll discuss it with fellow students
and others outside the university. That helps bring your
ideas to life. That’s obviously important: your work needs
to be alive in order to grow.
I decided I wanted the magazine shoot to explore
the avocado’s shape, and discussed my ideas with
photographer Frank Poppelaars. He helped me fine-tune
the concept. I created two images with a sort of spacerelated
theme to throw readers off a bit at first.
I had complete artistic freedom.
That can actually be more challenging sometimes,
because you don’t really know what’s expected of you.
On the other hand, we do explore a lot of broad themes
here at the academy. It’s also about the journey towards
the end result and the theoretical side of your work.
That’s different when you’re doing a professional
assignment where it’s all about the results.’
42 YOUNG TALENTED STUDENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT NSFM HAPPINESS

44 YOUNG TALENTED STUDENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT NSFM HAPPINESS NSFM HAPPINESS YOUNG TALENTED STUDENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT 45

Sandra de Rooij: she brightens up the room.
Singing
in the
rain.
You can follow all kinds of life coaches and read self-help
books to try to find happiness. But you can also trust in the
power of your smile. Because when you smile, your body
releases more happiness hormones than when you eat
chocolate, and when someone smiles at you, this also has
a huge effect. And the wonderful thing is that you can just
run into a smile like that. At Aartsen, for example.
Everyone who walks into our head office in Breda is greeted
by the radiant smile of Sandra de Rooij or Corinne de Lijster.
And that cheers people up. In this issue of nonstopfresh
magazine, Sandra talks about her work and happiness.
46 AARTSEN TALENTS NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS AARTSEN TALENTS 47

Best job at Aartsen. ‘The atmosphere at Aartsen
is pleasant and warm. There is a strong team spirit,
and everyone works their socks off. We all take our
responsibility, and that really shows in our company.
We care about each other. To me, Aartsen is like home;
we’re one big family. Working at Aartsen makes me
happy. It really does! My husband often asks, “So,
Sandra, are you keen to get back to work?” And then
I always say, “I sure am, because I have the best job
at Aartsen.” Well, we have the best job, I should say,
because I work together with Corinne.’ Working day
with lots of variety. ‘We work from seven to five. Long
hours, but time flies, because there is so much to do.
I get into the office at around a quarter or ten minutes
to seven and say hello to everyone. Then I start up all
the programs and start checking the inbox, processing
invoices, etc. Our job is all about multitasking.
It can be really hectic some days. The key thing is that
answering the phone always takes priority. We do the
other work in between calls in a very pragmatic way.
It’s like running a hop-on hop-off tour. We also deal
with colleagues who have questions and stories to
share. I like to listen to them, and I’m happy that they
trust me.’ Positive and optimistic personality. ‘I have
a positive and optimistic personality. I got those traits
from my father. Sadly, he passed away about a year
ago. But he was a very optimistic man, and I admired
him. I think I resemble him, because people see me as
a positive and happy person, too. But that doesn’t mean
you never struggle. I went through a difficult period
after my father died. But I’m the face of the company,
and I didn’t want people to notice. So I sometimes had
to dig deep, but I stayed positive. And I’m convinced
you can spread positivity by being kind or smiling to
someone. That’s a really important part of my life.’
Mood can get ruined. ‘You might not expect it, but my
mood can get ruined, too. I find it difficult to deal with
negativity, people complaining and cruelty to animals.
When you’re unhappy about something, whatever it is,
you should try to change it or discuss it. I always say,
“Look around you at everything we have.” We often
don’t fully realise that we have so much to be thankful
for. Because money can’t buy you happiness. Health,
love for each other and freedom are what really matter.’
Lighting up the room. ‘People refer to me as someone
who lights up the room, and of course that’s a wonderful
compliment. But it’s just who I am. And I also enjoy
seeing my colleagues, of course, so I think we feed
off each other’s energy. But it’s not always easy to be
upbeat and joyful. The recent death of our colleague
Dennis, and that of my father not that long ago, have
really affected me and have obviously influenced how
I feel. But if I can give people a positive vibe, I will
certainly do it. Because that makes me happy, too.
And when the people around me are happy, first and
foremost my family and relatives, but of course also
my friends and colleagues, then I’m also happy.’
(about the photo shoot) ‘The weather never affects
my mood. I don’t care if it’s rainy or sunny. I’m always
the same person. That’s why I think this shoot is really
fun. I have really been looking forward to it. I just hope
they won’t mess with my hair and my eyes won’t end up
looking like a panda bear’s.’
Supermarket, till, plant, happiness. Recently, an
elderly woman drew Sandra’s attention as she stood in
line at the till in the supermarket. She was neatly dressed
and smiled warmly. The woman reacted awkwardly
when she had to pay, and it turned out she didn’t have
enough money with her. The shop assistant wasn’t
particularly helpful or friendly. The woman decided to
leave out the lovely plant she had wanted to buy so
she could pay for the rest of her groceries. The shop
assistant told the elderly woman she was creating a lot
of extra work for her by not buying the plant. Meanwhile,
other people in the queue started to complain.
Sandra felt really sorry for the woman. She asked herself,
‘Isn’t there a better way to handle this?’ Sandra intervened
and offered to pay for the woman’s plant. The woman
looked at her with astonishment, but Sandra insisted.
And the shop assistant didn’t care who paid for it. When
Sandra stepped outside, the woman was waiting for her.
She was in tears and hugged Sandra; she was very
grateful. That gave Sandra a great feeling, too, and left
her with a great story to tell: a positive, optimistic story
about happiness, showing that you get what you give.
Typically Sandra.Happy in the rain.
Age: 50
Place of residence: Sprundel
Place of birth: Sprundel
Relationship: Married to Coen, with whom she has two children: Iris (23) and Janick (19)
Guilty pleasure: Making funny TikTok videos with Iris
Favourite cocktail: I prefer a good glass of red wine
Favourite Netflix series: Outlander
Who we should follow on Instagram or TikTok: Beautiful destinations
Favourite city: I prefer the countryside
Favourite sports: Hiking
Favourite dish to make: Singara
Proud of: My family
Favourite fruit: Nothing beats golden kiwifruit
Favourite vegetable: All vegetables
48 AARTSEN TALENTS NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS AARTSEN TALENTS 49

Reid Fruits
produces
premium
cherries,
a happiness
fruit.
In terms of happiness, is there any fruit that brings a bigger smile to your face
than cherries? If you ask us, this dark, sweet fruit is the embodiment of summery
joy. But who is responsible for growing this favourite fruit? Let us introduce you
to the growers of happiness: premium cherry producers Reid Fruits.
Tasmania has the perfect climate for
growing cherries: uniquely temperate,
with mild summers and cool, rainy
winters. The valleys of Tasmania provide
the perfect environment to grow dark,
sweet cherries. And so, Reid Fruits
decided to specialise in cherries.
Premium cherries, that is.
Many people in Tasmania grew up on orchards.
Reid Fruits’ Marketing and Sales Manager Tony Coad
is no exception. ‘There was a time when Tasmania was
competing on the global apple market; the Reid family
made their company one of the biggest apple exporters
out of Australia back then. But times changed, and as
other countries developed their apple industry, Tasmania
became less competitive worldwide. Until 25 years ago,
you saw Tasmanian apples all around the world.
But new markets emerged and apples became a
lower-value fruit. Australian labour and shipping costs
were too expensive, so it was time to discover a new
market for the Reid family business.’
From apples to cherries
That market turned out to be cherries, for which
the Tasmanian orchards are the perfect location.
Tony: ‘In the year 2000, Reid Fruits bought a new property
in the Derwent Valley. Basically, Managing Director
Tim Reid continued doing what he did in the past for
apples, but now for cherries. Thanks to his work on market
access with governments in Australia and overseas,
Tasmania gained access to new export markets that we
had not been able to ship to in the past. While cherries
had been a prime product for a number of years on some
smaller orchards, it wasn’t until Reid Fruits transitioned
to cherries that things changed for the Tasmanian fruit
industry. The past 25 years have been of significant
importance to us: we very quickly became one of the
biggest cherry growers in Tasmania.’
Reid Fruits in numbers: its main orchards are the
Redland Orchard, with 120 hectares of modern,
high-density cherry orchards; the Honeywood Orchard
with 40 hectares; and the Castle Forbes Orchard,
with another 40 hectares of high-quality cherries.
In total, Reid Fruits covers 200 hectares of cherries.
It is a business that requires 60 full-time employees
and up to 1,200 workers during the harvest season.
A considered approach to innovation
Its strategy? Focus on quality. When you do that, you
stay ahead of the game, explains Tony. ‘When you’re
developing new markets, you have to improve market
access, get in touch with innovators and stay up to date
on the latest developments in the world. Once your foot
is in the door, you establish your network with markets
and customers. Eventually, you’re recognised globally.’
When it comes to investing, Reid Fruits likes to play it safe.
‘Sometimes it’s good to be second. The pioneers get
the arrows; sometimes it’s smarter to take a considered
approach. We’re still very much on top of sustainable
growing and management techniques and we constantly
improve our equipment, packaging and processes.
In order to be a true market leader, however, you have
to do things that work. You can’t take too much risk,
but you can’t be last either.’
50 SUPPLIER IN THE PICTURE NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS SUPPLIER IN THE PICTURE 51

‘When it comes to innovations, the work is continuous.
We’ve recently been working on new packaging designs
and promotional ideas. Aartsen has many innovative
ideas when it comes to improving our branding options,
like the silver and gold branded Lipzz cartons or a branded
tram that has been roaming the streets of Hong Kong
for the last two years. Thanks to the latter, we’ve definitely
seen an increase in sales. Besides, we’re always trying
to improve our packaging to keep up with sustainability.
The only thing we still aren’t doing is sea freight. For us,
it’s all air freight as we concentrate on premium quality,
which means getting the cherries to the customers as
quickly as possible. Among the 20 countries we deliver
to, delivery times currently vary between 3 and 5 days.’
Seasonal happiness
Another of those innovations is developing new varieties.
Tony: ‘The cherry season is very short, so we peak from
mid-December until the second week of February.
It’s an 8–10 week season, so pretty intense and full on for
2 to 3 months. The rest of the year? We prepare for the
season. We work on existing relationships with customers,
travelling to visit them, and catch up. That’s what we like
about Aartsen: we like each other. It’s not just business
– we joke around and have a friendly chat. There’s trust
between us. This is essential, because we work with
perishable cherries, and we have to move quickly in
order to serve our customers.’
One of the ways for the company to expand is by
extending the season with cherry varieties that grow either
before or after the season, something which Reid Fruits
is continuously working on. ‘It’s great to offer cherries to
your customers for a longer period. In order to extend the
season, we’re looking to grow cherries on different sites
that have different maturity timing, depending on the
elevation and the characteristics of that specific site.
When we’re looking into new varieties, it’s the different
timing that we’re looking for. In other words: we’re looking
for cherries that are ready for maturity at different times:
early season, mid season and late season. It’s not just
cherries. And of course, you want the variety to be a firm
and sweet cherry. We’re currently working with major
plant breeders in Europe and North America. One of the
varieties we’re currently growing is “Tamara”, for which
we’ve been granted the Australian license. We’ll be able
to bring this exciting new variety to our customers soon.’
‘It’s the seasonality
that makes cherries
such a special fruit.’
On the other hand, it is the seasonality that makes
cherries such a special fruit, admits Tony. ‘The appeal
about cherries is that they are so seasonal. And they
can’t be stored, so it’s hard to find cherries in stores
year round. They’re a happiness fruit: they offer a burst
of happiness when people see them in the store.
Everyone is happy when it’s cherry season.’
Happy earth: Cherries from Tasmania have the added
benefit of minimal chemical input. Compared to other
growing regions, Tasmanian orchard management is
very sustainable thanks to the relatively low pest and
disease pressure in the region. Nevertheless, Reid Fruits
consistently looks to improve its pest management
techniques and reduce chemical usage.
Happy relationships
But, since the cherry season is so short, it can be a
tricky business too. It is intense, and therefore stressful
at times. ‘Inevitably, things can go wrong. Frost and rain
can cause your harvest to fail. Customs clearance can
get stuck. When the delays that happen are out of your
control, you still have to be happy solving the problems
in the middle of the night. Especially with cherries,
because they’re so vulnerable. You have to work on
solving the problems together, to work together as a
team. And to be flexible and happy when you do that.
With Aartsen, we have this happy relationship, we work
very well together and they truly are our established
partner in both the Benelux and Asia.
Our relationship with Aartsen goes way back, and
therefore the business we do together is very strong,
particularly for the past five years. We’ve had the
opportunity to grow together, discover new opportunities
together and find new markets together. Especially since the
establishment of the Aartsen office in Asia, our relationship
has started to take off, because it coincided with our
increase in production. It is thanks to Aartsen that we
have been able to expand to some new markets and
continue to do so. One market we’ve been exploring
is India. After our first shipment together last season,
there’s potential for growth.’
Global cherries: Reid Fruits’ main markets with Aartsen
are Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Vietnam. Besides
that, Thailand, China and Japan are some of the upcoming
bigger markets. Future opportunities are directed at the
markets of Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Korea
and Myanmar, which we are present in together already.
There’s a beautiful resemblance in growing cherries and
growing healthy relationships: ‘You have to work yearround
in order to get the best quality. There’s work on
the cherries year-round to prepare them for the peak
season. The same goes for our relationship with Aartsen:
we communicate year-round with each other.’ You have
to grow together to bring happiness to the world.
52 SUPPLIER IN THE PICTURE NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS SUPPLIER IN THE PICTURE 53

9
Sit back and
enjoy these
summer puzzles.
4
5
6
7
3
1. THIS AARTSEN BRANCH EXISTS EXACTLY 10 YEARS
2. THIS PRODUCT TAKES CENTER STAGE IN THE MAIN ARTICLE
3. THIS PRODUCT CAN BE VERY SPICY
4. THIS PRODUCT WEARS A CROWN
5. THIS SUBSTANCE PROVIDES CONNECTION AND EMBRACEMENT
6. THIS SUBSTANCE DELIVERS QUICK AND SHORT HAPPINESS
7. THIS AARTSEN BRAND IS A SYMBOL OF HAPPINESS
8.THIS SUBSTANCE MAKES YOU CONFIDENT AND SATISFIED
9. THIS SUBSTANCE HAS ANALGESIC PROPERTIES
1
2
10 8 10 8 24
10 19 11 8 29 10 18 8
20 21 20 7 11
3 20 10 29 26 19 8
26 19 18
8 11 3 20 24 10 19 11
8
20 11 13 20 11 13
20 7 29 3 20
8 24 20 21 20 11 19 11
A R R A Z A L C G E L O D
E L P P A B H R E M M U S
I C S U A E A N C D I E R
W M A N R N N O M E L N Y
I M A R D O C L L E O I R
K N I E R K R E T S D R R
A E Z A T O G M O M A A E
S Z N A L U T R C I C T B
A G I I M F V E I L O C P
E L P E I B K T R E V E S
E Z S U G A R A P S A N A
Z S Y R R E B W A R T S R
I M I B S S E N I P P A H
AKF
APPLE
APRICOT
ASPARAGUS
AVOCADO
BANANA
BIMI
CARROT
CHERRIES
COCKTAIL
DOLE
GRANDEZZA
HAPPINESS
KIWI
LAZARRA
LEGUMES
LEMON
LIPZZ
NECTARINE
ORANGE
RASPBERRY
REID
SMILE
STRAWBERRY
SUMMER
WATERMELON
See the results on page 90.
54 PUZZLES NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS PUZZLES 55

Ambitious
approach
to food
waste.
About Syngenta
Syngenta helps growers throughout the
world with organic and other pesticides,
seeds and other solutions to meet the
increasing demand for food and fuels.
The Swiss organisation employs in excess
of 48,000 people, spread over more than
90 countries. Syngenta uses breeding
methods to develop and produce seeds
for vegetables, maize, sunflowers, soya
beans, rapeseed and flowers.
www.syngenta.com
56 SUSTAINABILITY SYNGENTA NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS SUSTAINABILITY SYNGENTA 57

Syngenta has
food waste
on the menu.
Each year in the Netherlands, we waste around one
billion kilos of food. One billion kilos. And that is just in
the Netherlands. If we were to waste less food, fulfilling
our climate targets would be easier, and there would be
more food for the world’s growing population.
The Samen tegen Voedselverspilling (‘Together against
Food Waste’) foundation, which is a diverse coalition of
over 100 organisations, is fighting this wastefulness.
One of the businesses under the foundation’s umbrella
is Syngenta, a multinational engaged in such activities
as developing and supplying improved seeds for
growers.
We discussed food waste and Syngenta’s role in
minimising waste with Sjaak van der Ploeg, Head EAME
Seeds Development Vegetables at Syngenta (or: expert
in breeding vegetables). He does not mince his words,
‘If 30% of our food is going to waste, then there’s a lot
of room for improvement. That is where we come in.’
In his office, Sjaak talks passionately about his business
and driving down levels of food waste. He subsequently
does not need to add much as we walk around the
impressive greenhouse complex in which Syngenta is
working on new, improved varieties, as the plants and
flowers bolster illustrate his story.
About food waste
The amount of food that goes to waste is mind boggling;
30% of vegetables grown end up as waste in the chain.
The loss occurs at various points:
Harvest loss. ‘When there’s a slump in market prices,
growers destroy second-rate products because those
products won’t fetch a decent price on the market.
In the case of good varieties, the proportion of first-rate
products harvested will be considerably higher, thus
limiting waste.’
Cutting loss. ‘Broccoli stems, for instance.
Consumers don’t eat them. Broccoli stems can be
made softer and much more palatable through
cross-fertilisation.’
Waste in retail and catering. ‘Overripe fruit,
courgettes, tomatoes and peppers go unsold in shops.
Unsold products are less fresh after a few days.
Solution: improve the products’ durability.’
Consumer waste. ‘Improved durability would also enable
consumers to store their fruit and vegetables for longer
at home.’
By breeding vegetables and giving them characteristics
that prevent harvest and cutting loss and extend shelf
life (for example) allows Syngenta to provide new solutions
to combat food waste. It is important to note that breeding
vegetables is not the same as genetic modification.
Existing food characteristics are preserved and are
supplemented with plant-specific characteristics
through cross-fertilisation with similar varieties.
Sjaak van der Ploeg
58 SUSTAINABILITY SYNGENTA NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS SUSTAINABILITY SYNGENTA 59

Cauliflower -
a practical example.
One of the vegetables for which Syngenta develops and
supplies seeds is cauliflower. Using this vegetable as an
example. Sjaak tells us about what is being done to
combat food waste. ‘When cauliflowers are being
cultivated and growth commences, they will postpone
this growth if the temperature is high. This natural reaction
might take a week or two, and the cauliflower will be
ready for harvesting a fortnight later. Many growers
plant a row of cauliflowers on a weekly basis in-season,
giving them a protracted harvesting period and enabling
them to supply freshly harvested cauliflowers at any
time. Delaying the harvest will result in the supply of
cauliflowers being exceptionally high a few weeks down
the line, as a result of which cauliflowers will go unsold.
We’ve identified genetic properties in cauliflowers that
stop them from delaying their growth in high
temperatures.
Another point is that cauliflowers grown simultaneously
won’t reach 100% ripeness at the same time.
That means a field of cauliflowers can’t be harvested all
at once. Growers end up harvesting 70%, 20% and 10%
respectively over three successive rounds of cutting.
So they need to get out into the field three times to
harvest them all. That takes up too much time, manpower
and energy, so they don’t always bother. The upshot is
that part of the crop is wasted. That is why we developed
varieties of which 80% can be harvested in one go, so
growers don’t have to get out into the field quite so much.
Lettuce for burgers
The developments are never-ending. Another notable,
bite-sized solution involves lettuce leaves that are the
perfect size for a burger. ‘Chance also plays a role when
it comes to developing new, adapted products’,
Sjaak explains. ‘At one point, our agriculturalists found
themselves with a leaf that was exactly the right size for
a burger and was part of a crop that all had identical
leaves. It proved to be convenient and leave very little
waste. Even better, the lettuce leaves stay crispy for
longer. After developing this, we approached the market
and looked for sales opportunities ourselves.
Fast-food chains responded enthusiastically, but would
only go for such a product if it could be supplied all year
round and if the quality were to be consistent. We’re still
in the development phase, as it can take years before a
product has been properly developed, but we’re confident
about the possibilities that this lettuce leaf offers.’
Reducing waste by 50%
Sjaak is optimistic about the future. ‘We’re keen to reduce
waste by half. People are doing their bit in all sorts of
areas. It would be great if we could collectively drive down
waste from 30% to 15%. Obviously, we’re contributing
to this by developing new varieties and raising awareness
among our buyers and in the wider world.’
Another aspect in the case of fruit and vegetables,
particularly cauliflowers, is size. Cauliflowers are too
big for many families, and what doesn’t get eaten is
often thrown away. That is why we developed smaller
cauliflowers.
Colour is important too. As consumers see it, a
cauliflower should be white. A slightly more yellow
cauliflower will be left on the shelf, as consumers
wrongly assume that the flavour will be below par.
Our agriculturalists have identified a related gene that
ensures cauliflowers to stay white, even when exposed
to sunlight.’
60 SUSTAINABILITY SYNGENTA NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS SUSTAINABILITY SYNGENTA 61

You’re
invited
to grow
with us.
See you in Bangkok
‘Happiness is
when what you think,
what you say,
and what you do
are in harmony.’
Gandhi
Asia Fruit
Logistica
2-4 November
Meet us in our stand
62 JACK’S FAVORITE QUOTE #3 NSFM HAPPINESS

On a journey
of discovery
with Thierry
Aartsen is bursting with talent. Business analyst Thierry Mes
is one of them. What does Thierry do, and how does he feel
about working at Aartsen?
Thierry in a nutshell
Age: 30
Place of residence: Chaam
Place of birth: Vlissingen
Relationship: Yes, with Anne-Marie
What makes you happy: Doing fun things with friends and family.
Being outside and working in the garden
Favourite cocktail: Gin & tonic
Favourite snack: Hamburger
Best Netflix series: Breaking Bad
Favourite city: Dubai
Where do you like to spend time: Outside, in the woods
Favourite clothing brand: Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren
Which dish do you most enjoy making: Indian curry
What are you proud of: I’m proud of the fact that I served in the Navy
and went on a mission to to Somalia to combat piracy
Favourite fruit: Kiwi
Favourite vegetable: Spinach
64 AARTSEN TALENTS NSFM HAPPINESS

You’re a business analyst. That’s quite an abstract
concept. What does it involve? This specific field is
new within our organisation. As a business analyst,
I operate between IT and the company, with the
company side consisting of sales, purchasing, marketing
and the warehouse. Aartsen is constantly working on
the further implementation of Fresh, our own ERP system,
and that’s essential if we are to work with data.
A business analyst looks for data and information that
specific groups within the organisation need in order to
function better, grow and exploit opportunities.
What do you do all day? We have a huge amount of
data and it needs to be structured. Once that has been
done, I examine how we can make optimal use of the
data. I involve people from different disciplines within
the organisation in my plans and developments.
The aim is to create a platform which gives each
department its own dashboard with relevant information.
So that means information specifically for the warehouse
or sales and marketing, for example. What will this mean
in concrete terms? A simple example: we record which
shipping agents or customers have delivered or purchased
which products during a certain period of time. We can
supplement this with other data to find out the reason
for this delivery or purchase. Does it have anything to do
with the weather, for example? We can identify trends
and indicate where there are opportunities for improvement.
I share our insights with colleagues, on both a solicited
and unsolicited basis. It’s all about offering people
opportunities and making them think. Are there any
certainties? It’s a journey of discovery, because you
never know what you will encounter and things aren’t
set in stone. The more data sources you have, the more
accurate it becomes. It goes without saying that market
experience is important too. If you combine data with
experience and intuition, that’s the ideal situation.
You clearly know the tricks of the trade. You’ve been
working at Aartsen since January of this year. What
did you do before that? After secondary school,
I joined the Navy, which included a mission to Somalia.
I then took an Account Management programme and a
higher professional education programme (HBO) in
Innovation. After my internship with the pharmaceutical
company Amgen, I was offered a contract and specialised
in data and analytics. Five years later, I joined Aartsen.
Why did you choose to work for Aartsen? Aartsen is
still in the early stages in this field, and I see that as a
major challenge. In addition, Aartsen is innovative and
that ties in very well with my education, experience and
interests. Now you’re considered one of Aartsen’s
talents. How do you feel about that? It certainly sounds
good to be regarded as a talent. I feel very positive
about my work. The guidance and introduction to the
entire company, not just your own department, is very
unusual. During a two-month induction period, you get
to know the whole company well. Why is that a good
thing? I now know a lot about the company and can
assess for various departments where there are
opportunities for improvement or innovation.
Aartsen stands for growth. Why do you think you can
grow at Aartsen? I hope to create an impact that will
help the company to grow, and in turn this will help me
to grow too, just like my field of expertise within Aartsen.
We are taking it very seriously and are already looking
for someone to further enhance the team in the application
area. It certainly sounds like you are very happy at
Aartsen. Why should other talents also choose
Aartsen? As well as the fact that you can grow at Aartsen,
the way they treat their employees is important. There is
genuine interest and they really listen to you. As an
employee, I believe that you can have a real impact
here. The colleagues are also welcoming and friendly
and there’s a great atmosphere. You soon start to feel
like part of the team. A different topic: it goes without
saying that life isn’t only about work. What do you do
besides work? I spend a lot of time at my desk during
the day, and then I enjoy being physically active after
work. So I like doing DIY around the house and actively
work in the garden. I also go mountain biking on a regular
basis and I meet up with friends and family too.
Top trends for summer 2022
Off the top of his head, Thierry will predict this
summer’s top performers. In the next issue of
nonstopfresh magazine, we will see whether he
was right. We will probably see a difference between
his intuition and the reality.
“If the temperature increases, I would expect more
fresh fruit and summer vegetables to be sold.
But the actual market demand could also be very
different. For example, if the weather this summer
is worse than expected. And the harvest also plays
an important role. You can’t sell what’s not available.
Climate change will also have an impact on the
product range. We will increasingly need to bear
this in mind in the future.”
66 AARTSEN TALENTS NSFM HAPPINESS

Thierry’s Top 10
for summer 2022.
1.
Strawberries
The strawberries we all love so much
today originated in Chile and North
America. These two ‘ancestral plants’
were crossbred in France in the 18th
century. Both varieties of strawberries
ended up in the same garden in France,
ultimately resulting in the strawberry
variety we have come to know and love.
4.
Iceberg lettuce
Lettuce was already a common food among the ancient
Romans. However, they considered the leaves to be too
tough and not particularly appetizing, so they boiled
their lettuce. It is doubtful whether they were getting
the full health benefits, as uncooked lettuce promotes
digestion, gives us a sense of being full and contains
antioxidants that can neutralize harmful substances.
3.
Watermelons
2.
Oranges
We all know how dangerous a
banana peel can be. Still, other
types of fruit also come with
their own set of hazards. At the
turn of the last century, rugged
stuntman Bobby Leach – who
had previously dared to cross
the raging Niagara Falls in an
oil drum – failed to survive a
seemingly innocent slip on an
orange peel.
The watermelon has undergone two major changes over
the past few centuries. For starters, the flesh is now a much
brighter shade of red than it was a few centuries ago. It also
had a different composition back then. Some 400 years ago,
watermelons had far more and much larger seeds, which
were contained in white compartments. We know all this
thanks to Renaissance painter Giovanni Stanchi. Just try
Googling his name and images.
5.
Apricots
Soldiers in the Second World
War developed a strange
superstition: they believed an
apricot in a military vehicle
would lead to technical failures.
This can be traced back to the
fact that all allied vehicles used
to have apricots on board at the
time. After a series of accidents
and breakdowns, it became
clear that all the vehicles that
had broken down were carrying
apricots. This was only logical,
since they would have apricots
on board for each soldier.
However, apricots (temporarily)
suffered a bad reputation thanks
to this supposed correlation.
9.
Nectarines
Nectarines and peaches
probably originated in China.
There is evidence that the fruit
existed as early as 7500 years
ago. Nectarines and peaches
were initially smaller (probably
as small as a cherry), but
evolved into a larger fruit due to
breeding by early Chinese
farmers to this supposed
correlation.
7.
Asparagus
6.
Kiwi fruit
While most of us assume the kiwifruit is from
New Zealand, it actually originated in China.
The fruit was introduced to New Zealand in the
early twentieth century, where it began its rise to
become one of the world’s most popular fruits a
few decades later. However, this wasn’t until its
name had been changed from ‘macaque peach’
to ‘kiwi’, after the native bird. The new name
gave the impression kiwi fruit was an authentic
New Zealand product.
There are plenty of interesting facts when it comes to asparagus. Here are three: urine smells
so strong after you eat asparagus, because the vegetable contains sulfurous substances.
We are all familiar with white and green asparagus, but there are also extremely rare purple ones.
Asparagus were historically believed to boost the libido. Although we now know better,
we certainly haven’t lost our taste for them.
8.
Lemons
Lemons lend a zesty note to countless
dishes and drinks. One liqueur – the pride
of Sorrento, Italy – is even almost entirely
lemon-based: limoncello. Contrary to popular
belief (it’s actually also kind of obvious),
limoncello is made from the peel rather than
the lemon juice.
10.
Raspberries
Raspberries have been cultivated since the Middle Ages.
They are native to all of Europe, but can also be found
in other continents including North America, where the fruit
inspired the Razzie: an unofficial award for the worst film,
worst script and worst acting performance. This counterpart
to the Oscars has since become something of an accolade.
68 AARTSEN TALENTS NSFM HAPPINESS

Young talented
student in words
and images.
Thijmen van den Bergh.
Happiness is
around the corner.
At Aartsen, it’s all about growth.
In this respect, the editorial staff of
nonstopfresh magazine believes it is
important to give young talents a
chance to grow. Providing a platform
helps. There is also room on that
platform for creative young copywriters.
A lecturer at Fontys Creative Industries
in Tilburg connected us with Thijmen
van den Bergh.
Thijmen (20) is a first-year student in
Communication – International Events,
Music & Entertainment Studies.
He took many different courses during
this academic year, including copywriting.
That course really appealed to him.
He enjoyed the assignment for
nonstopfresh magazine very much
and said it was great to be completely
free to think and write for a specific
assignment. He was able to express
his creativity, and that was an amazing
experience. School assignments often
have more requirements, guidelines
and parameters. Thijmen now had
almost total freedom, but that did not
make him less critical of his own work.
As a test of his abilities, Thijmen wrote
a personal column on the theme of
happiness.
I come from a small farming village.
An us-versus-them place that offers
little scope for new, modern or different
things. That’s how I grew up, and I was
like that myself until secondary school.
That’s when I realised that I wasn’t being
the person I wanted to be. Everyone just
did what everyone else was doing, and
there was zero individuality. This reality
check marked the start of a period in
which I didn’t know what to do.
All the turbulent things that I had been
through kept floating around in my head
during this period. A divorce that didn’t
go through, because my mother got
cancer, the loss of my grandfathers,
getting bullied at school, and so on.
I understood all the things that had
happened, but I didn’t accept them.
As a result, I ended up in a negative spiral.
A dark period in which happiness
seemed far away.
During this period, I kept asking myself
why I wasn’t happy? It’s no big deal to
have a bad day every now and then,
but the longer you linger in the past,
the longer this lack of happiness
persists. And if you keep looking too
far ahead, that doesn’t make you feel
satisfied in the present either. We are all
striving to achieve our own goals, and
when we achieve these goals, we derive
happiness from this achievement. It feels
amazing to achieve things.
But there’s a pitfall: you always want more.
I saw achievements as intermediate steps
to happiness. But after every achievement,
the empty feeling would return. So why
did I never take a moment to appreciate
my achievements? That brings us to the
aspect of gratitude. Life is not just about
achievements, but also about the journey
to achieving them.
The memories, experiences, setbacks
and lessons we learn from these setbacks.
Being grateful for the entire process
gives you a lot more moments of
happiness than the achievement itself.
Without gratitude, achievements feel
less like real satisfaction, so you always
keep looking for the next mountain to
climb.
Accepting the negative past can only
make each day better. It gives you a
different view of reality, so that your
reality contains more happiness.
I ended up turning my whole life around.
I moved to a different city, started a
different study programme, gathered
new people around me and found a
passion. I started to accept life as it is.
I have no control over what happens
tomorrow, so why should I worry about
it? Because of this, I increasingly realise
every day how great it is to be where I
am. I’m fully focused on my goals and
am much happier as a result. The fact
that I took a risk to leave everything
behind and start a completely new life
makes me extremely grateful for the life
I have now.
At the end of the day, we can all get
fixated on the mistakes we’ve made.
But without those mistakes, we wouldn’t
be where we are today. We wouldn’t
have the people around us who we love
so much today. Without all these positive
and negative experiences, you wouldn’t
be the person you see in the mirror
today. Every morning we wake up, we’re
a new person. We grow every single day.
But so do the people around us.
We grow together. So with a little gratitude
for the small and big things around us,
life starts to be filled with happiness.
70 YOUNG TALENTED STUDENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS YOUNG TALENTED STUDENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT 71

nd
2Chance
for wasted
bananas:
‘We really can do
things differently.’
Making an impact: that’s what Laura Hoogland (32)
dreamed about when she quit her job in 2018. But how?
Amsterdam-based Laura wasn’t sure at that moment.
Now we’re four years down the line, and she’s at the head
of SUNT: a fast-growing company that helps prevent
wastage of bananas by turning them into food products.
Her story is just crying out to be told.
Laura Hoogland
72 PLANTBASED NSFM HAPPINESS

Helping to prevent wastage of bananas…
So what does SUNT do?
‘During my search for problems in the world that need
solving, I found out that food wastage is a really major
issue. The banana is the most wasted type of fruit in
the world. Of the 100 million tonnes that are grown each
year, about 50 million tonnes are wasted worldwide – and
often unnecessarily. It’s a huge pity, and so I immediately
knew I needed to do something about this. At SUNT we
turn these bananas into new products. Banana bread and
granola are just two examples here. In 2022, we’re opening
the world’s first factory where wasted bananas from the
ports are given a new lease on life. Destroying these
bananas used to be the most commercially attractive
option, but we’re making it more attractive to turn them
into products.’
How did you hit on this idea?
‘While I was still an employee, I was always thinking:
I want to make more impact in the world. To really make
a difference. During my quest for a suitable business,
I discovered the huge issue of food wastage. If you look
into this issue, a whole world opens up... I immediately
thought: this is it, I’m going to do something here.
Over the last four years, I’ve felt out of my comfort
zone every day – where do you even start? And what
direction do you go in? But for me that’s the most fun
thing there is. Working to achieve something meaningful,
and challenging myself in the process. Don’t be afraid,
go for it. In just the second week of my entrepreneurial
journey, I was already in a meeting with people from
Albert Heijn. For me, that indicates just how big the
demand is for sustainable solutions like these.
Today, our banana bread is available all over the
Netherlands and at Schiphol Airport. We’re doing well in
Belgium, too, for instance at Albert Heijn and Delhaize.’
And now you’re even planning your own SUNT
factory, right?
‘That’s right! We expect to open before the end of this year.
We’ll be producing banana puree there, from bananas that
would otherwise be thrown away. We hope to process
three thousand tonnes of bananas in the first year, and
we aim to upscale to twelve thousand tonnes over the
next four years.’
Isn’t this business interesting for other types
of fruit too?
‘Absolutely. But now we’re choosing to focus our
energies on bananas. On the one hand because the
iconic banana, as the most wasted type of fruit, really
symbolises wastage, and there’s so much fruit to be
saved globally. On the other hand, we also think it’s
important to maintain focus. At the moment we prefer
to use our factory to show that combating food wastage
is an attractive business proposition. This way, we can
inspire others to work with other types of fruit and to
make even more impact.’
What else do you hope to achieve with SUNT?
‘Besides the tasty products we’re already making,
our goal with SUNT is also to give the established food
industry a bit of a kick. We want to wake up retailers
and consumers by telling our story and showing how
things can be done differently. I still remember the time
I visited a producer and he asked me in surprise: ‘Why
use almond flour and dates, and not just wheat flour and
sugar?’. Moreover, you see how almost all bakers offer
the same products year after year: egg cakes, bread
rolls... Even though they could do things differently –
and better. It’s hard work to change things in the world
when they’ve been ‘normal’ for so long, but with SUNT
we want to push through this change.’
74 PLANTBASED NSFM HAPPINESS

Happiness is
everywear.
Limited harvest
Aartsen introduces ‘Limited Harvest’, a unique collection. The very first, the
ultimate happiness T-shirt by famous graphic artist Hedof. We like to take on
the challenge and surprise colleagues and our relations, but are only too happy
with unique items from a cool collection: Limited Harvest. Not just simple
merchandising, but something special. Will it stick to T-shirts? Who’s to say.
We will surprise you, https://aartsen.com/en/happiness.
Get
it
now.
Scan the QR-code.

Taste the passion.
Aartsen imports all Grandezza products directly from South America and Australia,
where we cooperate with the very best growers. Grandezza products are
cultivated with passion and love.
Menno.
Grow through what you go through
Happiness is based on the balancing
act of life. It’s one of many emotions a
human being can feel; and it’s also one
that people are continually seeking,
although in the modern age it seems to
be harder to find than ever. There have
never been as many ‘happiness coaches’
as now, and today’s millennials generation
seems to be searching more for than ever
for this quality. In our busy way of life,
where we need to keep many balls in the
air at the same time, finding happiness
proves easier for some than for others.
Menno van Breemen has been
Managing Director at Aartsen Asia
in Hong Kong since 2021.
Happiness symbol and red packets
You’ll often see the happiness symbol
on the streets of Asia. The ‘Double
Happiness’ symbol often appears at
weddings: on invitations, menu cards,
gadgets, red packets etc. Red packets
are little red envelopes sized to match
banknotes; filled with money, these
packets are given as gifts to the bridal
couple. At Chinese New Year the little
packets are also distributed each year
to people who are not yet married.
It’s a centuries-old tradition that children
and teenagers look forward to eagerly.
So you don’t wake up on New Year’s
Day with a hangover, but in a happy
state with an envelope of money.
Not a bad alternative, is it?
Happiness in business
There’s no doubt whatsoever about the
importance of happiness in a working
environment – when we all create a culture
in which the team feels happy, this will
automatically lead to higher productivity,
less absenteeism and better, overall
performance. Some research results
even show that companies with happy
employees outperform competitors where
that isn’t the case by more than 20%.
Be willing to give people compliments,
work together well, ensure clear and
effective communication, listen to what
others have to say, know your team,
above all recognise the added value of
colleagues, be prepared to lay it on the
line if necessary and focus on the person
– these are important factors within an
organisation.
At Aartsen we ultimately form a single
team. Our people are hugely important
and they are the reason for our success.
We try to do all we can to contribute to a
good working environment, to give people
new challenges, and much more besides.
A high level of involvement and happiness
within this team ensures that we’re
nonstopfresh day for day, ready to work
together to tackle each challenge we
encounter. Together we’re strong!
On the other hand, we also need to
ensure that our partners in the production
sector all over the world and our clients
are happy too. Happy partners result in
better working relationships, which in
turn creates a committed team that’s
happy to work for a company with a
clear vision and goal!
This is the simple, but oh so difficult,
principle of loyalty, relationship and
leadership.
Here’s a fun fact for your work: it’s
generally proven that long meetings
don’t have a positive impact on people.
So it might be an idea to no longer
conduct meetings with you sitting on
your chair, but from now when holding
the planking position on the ground.
I’m pretty sure your meetings will be
significantly shorter...
Daily life happiness
Various foods that we eat on a daily or
weekly basis can play an important role
in experiencing happiness, or indeed
stress instead. Opinions vary, but
various studies show very clearly that
vegetables, fruit and non-processed
foods positively influence your level of
happiness. Processed foods may give
you a ‘happiness kick’ in the short term,
but afterwards stress and unhappiness
can gain the upper hand. Does that
mean that everyone should throw their
guilty pleasures overboard? That’s a
discussion I won’t get involved in, but
as with everything in life I personally
aim for balance.
Yin Yang: for every shadow side there’s
always light! And vice versa. So how do
you gain that ultimate sense of happiness?
It’s a question that everyone will answer
differently. In my view it’s about being
realistic, being prepared to step outside
your comfort zone, being prepared to
say no, not forgetting the child that still
lives within you and, above all, doing
what gives you pleasure – because no
goal is too high if you enjoy doing what
you do. Moreover, don’t live purely for
a goal, because then you’ll lose that
important sense of ‘now’. ‘We are
sometimes so busy watching out for
what’s ahead of us that we don’t take
time to enjoy where we are.’ So to
conclude with something that recently
I’ve begun saying to myself everyday:
Tomorrow is so far away…
To the happy future!
NSFM HAPPINESS ASIA COLUMN 79

Floortje.
Everybody goes bananas.
Banana toffee
20 minutes
3 hours cooking time
Serves 4
• 1 tin condensed milk
• 1 leftover banana bread
• 1 small handful of salted peanuts
• 100 ml whipped cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 banana cut into slices
• 125 g raspberries
• Mint or basil to garnish
Floortje Bruijns studied Nutrition
and Dietetics and now focuses her
professional life on everything that
has to do with food. As she says,
food makes her more than happy.
For nonstopfresh magazine, she
covers a range of food-related topics
and treats us to some surprising
recipes! This time, her ingredient of
choice is the banana and she shares
two recipes for great summer
mocktails with us.
Preparation
Start by making the dulce de leche (toffee). Put the tin of
condensed milk into a pan, plus enough water to cover.
Turn on the heat and bring the water to the boil.
Make sure the tin stays under water, even when the
water is boiling. Leave the water to boil for 3 hours.
Allow the tin to cool down before you open it.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180° Celsius.
Crumble half of the banana bread into small pieces.
Place the crumbled banana bread and the peanuts on
a baking tray and then bake them in the preheated oven
for about 10-12 minutes. Remove the baking tray from
the oven when the crumbled banana bread is crispy and
golden brown. In the meantime, whip the cream and the
sugar until you achieve a thick consistency.
Cut the banana into slices.
Present the dessert any way you like. As shown on the
photo, you could make quenelles from the toffee and
whipped cream. You could then also sprinkle the
crumbled banana bread and peanuts on top, scatter
some fruit on the plate and garnish your dessert with
green herbs.
80 FOOD NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS FOOD 81

Tips
Ginger or coconut ice cubes
• Ginger-shot ice cubes
• 375 ml water
• 225 g peeled ginger
• 1 apple or orange, peeled
• Juice of 1 lemon
Mix all the ingredients together in a blender.
Pass through a fine sieve and pour into an
ice-cube tray. Freeze and leave for a day
to enjoy frozen ginger shots. Healthy and
delicious.
Fruit cubes
Cut fruit into small pieces or use whole
raspberries or blueberries.
Add to an ice-cube tray with some water.
Freeze and use instead of normal ice cubes.
Preserved lemons
You’ll often buy a bag of lemons but won’t
need all of them. It would be wrong to
throw them away, so try out some new
recipes instead. You’ll find out that lemons
are delicious in all kinds of dishes, including
desserts, dressings and grazing platters.
Make sure you rinse the lemons thoroughly
first though because no-one likes a salty
lemon.
All taste, no waste
l l tast
, n wast
Grapefruit
Mocktail
• 100 ml grapefruit juice
• 100 ml ginger beer
• 30 ml raspberry syrup
• 4 coconut-milk ice cubes/
coconut ice-cream
Topping
• Slice of grapefruit
• Mint
• Stainless steel straw
Rose
Mocktail
• 40 ml elderflower cordial
• 120 ml rose water
• 80 ml tonic
• 4 ginger ice cubes
Sugared rim
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Smoked paprika
Topping
• Basil
• Rose bud
Take a big mason or preserving jar and
cover the bottom of it with 2 tablespoons
of Himalayan salt or sea salt. Cut each
lemon into 4 wedges, but don’t cut them
all the way through. Sprinkle salt onto
the flesh and then put the lemons into a
preserving jar. Press down on the lemons
in the preserving jar a little to release their
juices. Make sure the pot is filled right to
the top. You might want to use some juice
from other lemons to do this. Next, close
the jar, shake it a few times and then put it
in a warm place somewhere on a worktop.
Continue to shake every now and again
and the lemons will be ready for you to use
after 3 weeks. Once opened, store in the
refrigerator.
Foodies
Favorite
Perfect in in any dish with it’s succulently
sweet and slightly nutty taste.
82 FOOD NSFM HAPPINESS
bimibroccoli.com

nonstopfresh new
products available
at Aartsen.
BBaby corn
Varieties Panner 14
Country of origin Grown and packed in Kenya
Taste Sweet tender and crunch
Size Length 70-100 mm • Width 12-15 mm
Season Throughout the year
Extra information
• Shelf life (12 days from harvest to consumption)
• Treatment and processing (wash before use)
• Storage instruction (storage temperature 4 to 8°C).
Maintain cold chain during storage
• Physical appearance (light cream to pale yellow)
• Intended use (suitable for consumption by all groups
French beans
Varieties
• Star 2054
• Samantha
• Beangoal
Country of origin Grown and packed in Kenya
Taste Sweet and tender
Size Length 100-120 mm • Width 6/7 mm
Season Year-round
Extra information
• Shelf life (12 days from harvest to consumption)
• Treatment and processing (wash and cook)
• Storage instruction (storage temperature 4 to 8°C).
Maintain cold chain during storage
• Physical appearance (unmature beans green and tender
• Intended use (suitable for consumption by all groups)
Young coconut
Varieties Nam Ham
Country of origin Thailand
Taste Fresh and sweet
Size Approximately 800 gram per piece
Y
Season Year-round
Extra information
The coconut water of the young coconut can be drunk.
In addition, the coconut flesh can be used as well.
The coconut water has several health benefits:
• good source of several nutrients
• may have antioxidant properties
• may help lower blood sugar for people with diabetes
• may help prevent kidney stones
• may support heart health
• beneficial after exercise
It is widely consumed around 11 a.m. in Thailand
to stave off hunger.
84 FRESH NEW PRODUCTS NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS FRESH NEW PRODUCTS 85

The
Wor
ld
of
Aar
tse
n
Mart, after years
of dedication to the
company, there’s just
one thing left for you to
do: deserve your wellearned
retirement!
Mart retires from Aartsen
after 44 years
Mart’s last day at Aartsen was 1 June 2022. It was a
special day, which ended with a retirement party at
which Mart’s colleagues and family raised a glass to
mark this special milestone. It has been a real privilege
to have Mart as a colleague for more than 44 years.
With his extensive experience and good advice,
he has played a key role at Aartsen. Mart has said he
would be happy to help out if there’s ever an emergency
- we really appreciate that.
Aartsen Venloop run
15 May 2022
Team Aartsen took part in Venlo’s 10-km Venloop run.
It was a beautiful hot day and the atmosphere was
great. Our runners really did us proud!
10 years Aartsen Asia
We’re really proud to say that Aartsen Asia
celebrated its 10 anniversary on 17 May 2022.
We have a fantastic team in Hong Kong and it’s
continuing to grow.
Ready for the nonstopfresh future. Cheers!
Forty years
and counting
for Jack
Jack Aartsen started his career at
Aartsen(fruit) more than 40 years
ago on 10 May 1982.
What a great achievement; cheers
to a happy future!
Watch
the
video
86 THE WORLD OF AARTSEN NSFM HAPPINESS
NSFM HAPPINESS THE WORLD OF AARTSEN 87

In memoriam
The
Wor
ld
of
Aar
tse
n
Nonstop work
We are ready for take-off. We’re going live and we’ve made sure
that everyone knows about it. Since mid-May, the non-stop images
of the latest Aartsen recruitment campaign have been everywhere.
The aim of the campaign is to recruit employees for Aartsen’s
branches in the Benelux. Our models are stealing the show in
cinemas, on bus shelters, in restaurants and online too! If you
haven’t seen them yet, take a look on aartsen.com/work.
Dennis van Eekelen
24-08-1971 / 24-03-2022
Forever in our Aartsen heart.
88 THE WORLD OF AARTSEN NSFM HAPPINESS

Result summer puzzles.
9
4
5
6
7
3
1
2
8
H O N G K O N G
A V O C A D O
P E P P E R
P I N E A P P L
O X Y T O C I N
D O P A M I N E
S M I L E
E N D O R P H I N S
E
S E R O T O N I N
A R R A Z A L C G E L O D
E L P P A B H R E M M U S
I C S U A E A N C D I E R
W M A N R N N O M E L N Y
I M A R D O C L L E O I R
K N I E R K R E T S D R R
A E Z A T O G M O M A A E
S Z N A L U T R C I C T B
A G I I M F V E I L O C P
E L P E I B K T R E V E S
E Z S U G A R A P S A N A
Z S Y R R E B W A R T S R
I M I B S S E N I P P A H
S U M M E R V I B E S
4 PUZZLES NSFM HAPPINESS

About the cover.
The illustration on the cover represents exactly what
makes us happy. It represents Aartsen in his best way.
Our basis grows, continues, and will never stop.
This illustration is created by Hedof, a one-man
studio by contemporary illustrator Rick Berkelmans.
Brightness, playful and happiness, are reflected in
every illustration of Hedof.