Much.More.Sustainability - Sustainability Report 2023

Much. More.
Sustainability.
Sustainability Report 2023

01.
1.1 Company 08
1.2 Facts & figures 10
1.3 Mission statement 12
1.4 Stakeholder dialogue 14
1.5 Materiality matrix 16
Company
02.
Economy
2.1 Value chain 20
2.2 Quality 22
2.3 Innovation & research 24
A different, more expressive image –
Jamie will upload some more for me
here
03.
Animal welfare
3.1 Husbandry systems 28
3.2 Indicators 30
3.3 Loading 31
04.
Ecology
4.1 Climate & energy 34
4.2 Water 36
4.3 Packaging 38
4.4 Waste 39
4.5 Biodiversity 40
05.
Social responsibility
5.1 Employees 44
5.2 Personnel development 46
5.3 Occupational health
& safety 47
5.4 Regional commitments 48

HEIDEMARK
INTRODUCTION
4 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
FOREWORD 5
Dear readers,
As a third-generation family business, we can look
back on over 50 years of commercial operations.
The four dimensions of sustainability – economy,
animal welfare, ecology and social responsibility –
have a significant impact on our poultry farming,
slaughtering, fabrication, processing and logistics
business areas. To date, we have been able to
ensure and create a sustainable future for turkey
husbandry by always incorporating these four dimensions.
We have a responsibility to use the resources available
to us sparingly along our entire value chain.
Sustainability affects us all, and in all areas of life.
Our company’s strategy is to use renewable energy,
digitalise entire areas of the business and thus
become faster and less error-prone, while continuing
to use sustainable packaging. These are just
a few examples of a more conscious use of scarce
resources.
Being a family entrepreneur,
a very approachable and direct
corporate culture is important
to me.
Our doors are always open, so that all issues can
be addressed directly. Close ties with our employees,
a friendly and informal culture, and strong
engagement with our customers, suppliers, and
especially the farmers are extremely important to
me. The transformation of the job market into an
employee-centric market is also making it increasingly
challenging for us to find new employees
and retain them for long periods within the company.
Therefore, we strive every day to become
a little better in this area. These efforts make us
more attractive as an employer and secure jobs in
our region. We give people of all nationalities and
ages good prospects and a secure job.
In recent years, outbreaks of avian influenza (bird
flu) have had a severe impact on our business activities.
Unfortunately, this has almost become a
major year-round issue. Once a seasonal occurrence
in autumn and winter, it has now become
endemic and shows little respite even during
the summer months. We are therefore working
hard to make vaccination programmes possible
throughout the European Union. Last winter, the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture presented a policy
paper outlining the planned future of turkey
husbandry in Germany. The requirements go far
above the established husbandry practices. Turkey
husbandry can only continue to exist in Germany
if there is a general societal acceptance of
the long-established husbandry methods that are
subject to the QS control system and the animal
welfare initiative "Initiative Tierwohl". In recent
months, therefore, we have intensified our dialogue
with diverse stakeholder groups and created
transparency with regard to how our turkeys
are kept.
Despite the challenging market conditions,
we maintain a very optimistic outlook: in 2022,
we successfully established labelling scheme
"Haltungsform 3" and ensured consistent availability
of the required products on the market. We
also launched a new processing facility for con-
venience products and made investments in
new machinery. We are currently engaged in
projects involving the use of alternative energy
sources – with the goal of chieving carbon
neutrality at our production facility in Ahlhorn
until 2045. This sense of optimism and our
ongoing work on improvement processes are
already paying off for our business. Our inclusion
of the four sustainability dimensions –
economy, animal welfare, ecology and social
responsibility – is worthwhile in all respects.
Not least because it enables us to look forward
with a clear conscience and offer both secure
jobs and high-quality products.
The progress we have already made in recent
years and our plans for the coming years are
explained in detail on the following pages.
Enjoy reading the report!
To ensure sustainable
corporate develoment,
we focus on expertise,
high quality and
reliability.
Christopher Kalvelage

01.
Company

HEIDEMARK
1.1
8 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
COMPANY
9
Company
At HEIDEMARK, we employ around 1,800 people
and pursue the goal of creating turkey products of
the highest quality.
In 1965, Reinhold Kalvelage founded a feed mill
in Höltinghausen. HEIDEMARK has been a 100%
owner-managed family business ever since, now
under the leadership of Christopher Kalvelage,
who took the reins in 2015 and represents the
third generation of his family.
At our headquarters in Ahlhorn, we operate
the largest and most efficient turkey slaughterhouse
in Europe. Its annual capacity is approximately
200 m kg of turkey meat with an annual
turnover of € 604 m (financial year: 2022). Our core
business is the rearing and transport of turkeys as
well as the processing and marketing of turkey
products, which are sold to food retailers and
industrial customers. We operate our own parent
stock farms, hatcheries and fattening farms,
where around 2.7 million turkeys are reared every
year. Being fully aware of our responsibilities towards
our industry, we want to play our part in the
development of sustainable turkey husbandry.
Refrigerated
lorries
Live animal
transport lorries
51 39
€ 604 m Turnover in the
financial year 2021/22
German industry leader with a market share of
approx. 50%
The slaughter volume is approx. 250
m kg per year. This corresponds to
approx. 14.5 m toms and hens.
Financial year 2021/22
Chicks marketed in the 2022 financial year
approx. 16 m

HEIDEMARK
1.2
10 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
FACTS & FIGURES 11
Facts & figures
Over
1,800
people
from
38 countries
work for us
80%
Trainee
retention rate
34%
Women in management
positions
2%
Reduction in fuel consumption
compared to previous year
Our turkey
utilisation rate is
97%
Water
recycling rate
44%
20
newly installed
charging points
15 %
Energy savings since 2012
Since 2020,
instead of
Christmas
presents, we
have made
donations to
worthy causes

HEIDEMARK
1.3
12 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
MISSION STATEMENT 13
Mission statement
Sustainability has been a major focus at
HEIDEMARK for many years. In 2015, we established
our first in-house workshops in order to
elaborate and consolidate key topics and develop
a mission statement.
Our current initiatives are designed to meet both the way in which we structure these issues and
the present and future needs of our society while our approach to sustainability management.
also securing our long-term business operations. Since 2018, Dr. Hanna Strüve has been responsible
for all sustainability activities as head of
For us, sustainability means developing sustainable
turkey husbandry by taking into account animal
welfare as well as economic, ecological and aging Partner, Christopher Kalvelage. In addi-
a dedicated department, reporting to the Man-
social factors. We also aim to contribute to the implementation
of the United Nations’ Sustainable ability team was established. The team regularly
tion, an eight-member interdisciplinary sustain-
Development Goals (SDGs)*.
meets to discuss current projects and potential
In 2017, we took the decision to further improve improvements, thereby ensuring progress on the
respective issues.
And this work has certainly paid off: since
2019, HEIDEMARK has been certified under
the ZNU Standard for Sustainable Business
Practices (https://www.znu-standard.com/en/).
Since then, our work has been reviewed each
year via external audits, making our annual performance
quantifiable. Our holistic approach to
sustainability (based on four dimensions) in line
with the ZNU standard, as well as the integration
of additional sustainability guidelines, help us to
work on incremental improvements in a structured
manner. In this way, we aim to ensure that
our company continually evolves in the spirit of
sustainability.
To this end, we make sure all employees get
involved in these efforts by providing training
for new staff and teaching our trainees to act as
sustainability ambassadors. Only by working together
systematically can we improve our structures,
methods, and processes, and continue
working towards our sustainability goals.
We focus our support on the following SDGs*:
2
3
4
6
7
8
12
17
Zero hunger
Good health and well-being
Quality education
Clean water and sanitation
Affordable and clean energy
Decent work and economic growth
Responsible consumption and production
Partnerships for the goals
*All 17 SDGs can be found at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

14
HEIDEMARK
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
1.4
STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE
15
Stakeholder dialogue
Internal and external communication is a key element
of our business – it is the only way we can increase the
acceptance of our commercial activities and, at the
same time, recognise emerging trends.
We attach great importance to maintaining a view every step of the slaughter and fabrication
constant dialogue with our stakeholders. Given
that companies are required to interact with during ongoing operations. The separated aisle
process from our transparent visitor walkway
numerous and diverse internal and external allows production to continue unhindered and
stakeholders, whereby each group has specific also enables us to safeguard our operational
expectations and demands, our sustainability hygiene standards.
team has identified the key stakeholder groups
in relation to our company, along with their In collaboration with WING (Science and Innovation
for Sustainable Poultry Production) in
respective interests, risks, opportunities and
potential solutions. We have incorporated the Vechta, a branch of TiHo Hannover (University
results into our materiality matrix and derived of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation),
corresponding targets and measures.
we focus on sharing knowledge, especially for
the benefit of school pupils, by providing objective
and scientifically-grounded insights into
Over the last two years, we
have worked hard to expand poultry farming. Barn visits allow us to directly
our internal and external demonstrate how turkeys are kept. Furthermore,
we consider regular discussions with an-
communications.
imal protection organisations to be important.
To this end, we have not only expanded our Only through dialogue can we establish understanding
and demonstrate what humane live-
communications team, but also attend numerous
job fairs and report internally on sustainability
issues via newsletters. This year, we have To maintain an ongoing dialogue and further
stock husbandry looks like.
also improved communication with our production
employees by introducing an employtively
participate in 25 diverse working groups
the development of turkey husbandry, we acee
app, which is available in various languages. and are consistently prepared to engage in collaborative
research in our test stables.
To give visitors some insights into turkey husbandry
and processing, they are welcome to
Authorities
Neighbours
NGOs
Trade
Suppliers
Employees
Business
owners
Farmers
Consumers
We attach great
importance to maintaining a constant
dialogue with our stakeholders.

HEIDEMARK
1.5
16 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
MATERIALITY MATRIX 17
4
Materiality
matrix
Reduce the economic risk for farmers
Food safety
High success rate & hygiene standards
Employees’ sense of
identity & belonging
Waste
Internal
communication
Packaging
Innovation &
product variety
Proof of origin
Professional leadership
Purchase & sales price
Product quality
Climate
Appreciating employees
Fair payment
Reconciliation of family & career
Animal welfare & health
Sustainable migration
Shortage of skilled workers
Respect for the animal
Feed
The purpose of our materiality matrix is to illustrate
the impact of our business activities on sustainability
issues (inside-out perspective) and, conversely,
the significant impact of sustainability issues on
our business activities (outside-in perspective).
In this way, we aim to create transparency in our
business activities vis-à-vis our internal and external
stakeholders. We use retrospective information
to identify issues affecting our operations, and
predictive data to highlight future developments
for which we have a growing need to prepare.
By referring to the materiality matrix, we can identify
genuinely important sustainability topics and
queries, thereby engaging in relevant dialogue with
our stakeholder groups. Only through an honest and
fact-based discourse can we work together every day
to gradually improve all aspects of turkey husbandry.
3
Appreciation for the farmers
Addition of phosphorous / antibiotics
Emissions: odour & noise
Transport & slaughter
Temporary
delivery
problems
Price/performance
ratio
Water consumption & industrial
water treatment
Economic security
The X axis shows the importance of our business
activities for HEIDEMARK and the Y axis their importance
for our stakeholders. Since each stakeholder
group has specific needs, these were also taken into
account. They are ranked in order of relevance. The
top-right quadrant represents the issues that are most
important to us. These sustainability issues are not only
of special significance for us, but are also considered
extremely important by our stakeholders. These key
topics are underpinned by our sustainability goals. In
concrete terms: we need to work on these issues
every day.
Relevance from a stakeholder perspective
Discrepancy between animal welfare &
BauGB (German federal building code)
Respect for human rights
Herbs & spices
Traffic
Company doctor
Competitiveness
Image/scandals/
legal infringements
Driver training / HGV safety technology
The materiality matrix is updated annually by
our sustainability team. It is also updated to
reflect significant changes in the law.
Relevance:
1
2
3
low
Economic economy
medium Animal welfare
high
Ecology
1 2 3
4
4
very high
Social responsibility
Operational relevance for HEIDEMARK

02.
Economy
Our
sustainability goals
• Changeover to mono-materials
in our primary packaging
by the end of 2023
• 50% reduction in the number
of printers in our administrative
offices by the end of 2024

HEIDEMARK
2.1
20 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
VALUE CHAIN 21
Value chain
9
8
Animal husbandry
Alongside processing, turkey husbandry is our
10
7
6
core competence and forms the basis for our value
5
chain.
4
11
Our main suppliers are farmers in Germany, Po-
are removed from the barns and brought to
land, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands
Ahlhorn in a special live animal transport lorry.
and the Czech Republic. We stay in close contact
with all of them through our local field service.
Animal husbandry is divided
into parent stock farms,
hatcheries, and rearing and
fattening farms.
In parent stock farms, the hens are inseminated
by the toms so that they lay fertilised eggs. The
eggs are then artificially incubated in the hatchery
to ensure that the chicks hatch on the 28th
day. From the hatchery, the animals are transferred
to special rearing and fattening barns,
where they are reared for 16 to 21 weeks. The
farmers are obliged buy their feed from feed
mills that meet our quality standards. The content
of the mixed feed is adjusted according to
the age of the animals. The main ingredients for
all age groups are maize, wheat and soya, which
are purchased on the world market. When the
A large part of our workforce is based there. The
turkeys are then slaughtered and processed
into meat products. The finished products are
delivered to customers on the same day using
our refrigerated logistics fleet.
Our turkey utilisation rate is 97%. The products
that are not used for food production (such as
feathers and blood) are converted into processed
animal proteins or into pet food. Packaging
waste and other waste materials are recycled
as far as possible. Our entire value chain
is certified under the QS standard. Neutral
external inspections take place at all stages of
production. These external inspections, as well
as our own daily checks that form part of our
quality management system, guarantee that
we deliver safe products to our customers. We
market our products primarily to national and
international food retailers, and also to industrial
customers, which process our products.
20
19
17
12
18
16
Customers
Production
13
15
1
14
2
3
animals have reached their final weight, they
Feed
Animal husbandry
Production
1
Maize
5
Parent stock
11
Anaesthesia
16
Water
2
Soya
6
Hatchery
12
Slaughter
17
Wastewater treatment plant
3
Wheat
7
Rearing
13
Processing + packaging
18
Packaging materials
4
Feed
8
Fattening
14
Loading
19
Other ingredients
9
Manure
15
Refrigerated transport
20
Slaughterhouse waste
10
Live animal transport

22
HEIDEMARK
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
2.2
QUALITY
23
Quality
We safeguard our processes
by means of internal checks,
whose results are validated
via neutral external
inspections. Apart from
meeting the legal standards,
HEIDEMARK complies with
the requirements specified
by several external quality
assurance systems and maintains
the relevant national and
international certifications.
Standard for Sustainable
Business Practices
Since 2019, our Ahlhorn location has been certified under the ZNU
Standard for Sustainable Business Practices, and undergoes annual
inspections by an external certification body. The ZNU standard
requires and promotes the development of an integrated
management system for a more sustainable business.
Through systematic and joint sustainability planning, we incrementally
improve our internal structures, methods and processes.
Because the ZNU standard advocates for more sustainable business
practices, our sustainability team is continuously challenged
to gradually enhance sustainability aspects within each of our
specialist departments.
www.znu-standard.com/en/
www.heidemark-tierwohl.de
HEIDEMARK PRO Tierwohl - our own animal welfare standard
Since 2022, a number of farms have gone one step further by being certified to the HEIDEMARK PRO animal welfare standard.
Accordingly, they now offer their animals an outdoor climate area, considerably more space and a wider range
of enrichment materials. Naturally, these farms are also certified under the QS, ITW and VLOG standards.
www.heidemark-tierwohl.de
Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e.V.
The HEIDEMARK farms certified by the ITW also commit to feeding their turkeys with non-genetically modified feed.
At these farms, an additional inspection of the feeding process is carried out in accordance with the standard published
by the German Association Food without Genetic Engineering (Verband Lebensmittel Ohne Gentechnik (VLOG)).
www.ohnegentechnik.org/en
Our internal quality management
system regulates all
requirements for processes,
marketable products and also
the handling of non-conforming
products. Thanks to our
in-house laboratory analyses
we can quickly provide relevant
information and steer
our production processes
QS – the inspection system for
foodstuffs
The QS system guarantees strict quality assurance across all
stages of food production. Each individual stage is inspected
by external certification bodies – the parent stock farms, the
hatchery, the rearing and fattening farms, the feed companies, the
logistics facilities, the slaughterhouse and fabrication line, all the
way to the food retail counter.
www.q-s.de/en
Halal
The feeding and slaughtering of turkeys at HEIDEMARK complies with the regulations of the Halal standard and is
considered permissible in accordance with Islamic principles.
www.halal-certification.de
DLG – German Agricultural Society (Deutsche Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft)
In 2022, we were awarded the “Long-Term Product Quality Award” by the DLG for the 14th time. This award highlights
our consistent pursuit of quality and is only presented to companies whose food products have been regularly and
successfully tested by the DLG for at least five years.
accordingly. Our complaint
statistics are analysed by
an interdisciplinary team to
ensure consistent, collective
improvements in this area.
By adhering to strict internal
and external rules, we guarantee
consumer protection
and maximise the safety of
our processes and products.
ITW – Initiative Tierwohl
(animal welfare initiative)
This cross-sector alliance of agriculture, the meat industry and
food retailers has set itself the goal of promoting animal welfare
in livestock husbandry. We have been a member since its
inception in 2015. The participating farms are committed to reducing
the stocking density in their barns by 10% and to providing
additional enrichment materials for their animals. At the same
time, the ITW-certified farms must undergo even more frequent
inspections.
www.initiative-tierwohl.de/en
BRC Global Standard
The “Global Standard for Food Safety” guarantees safety and quality requirements that food producers must meet.
BRC is a recognised standard, particularly in English-speaking Europe and parts of Asia.
www.brcgs.com
International Featured Standards
This seal of quality distinguishes processes that guarantee the highest levels of food safety, hygiene and a sound
operational infrastructure. It also serves as a guarantee that our customers are buying products that conform to
these standards.

HEIDEMARK
2.3
24 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
INNOVATION & RESEARCH 25
Innovation & research
As a manufacturer and supplier to the trade and
As industry, a manufacturer HEIDEMARK and supplier develops to the over trade, 400 HEIDE- new
MARK products develops every over year, 400 which new are products presented each to year, our
which customers are presented after a product to our development customers after phase. a product
development phase.
technology: using individual experimental
compartments we can scientifically
investigate how innovations
could be implemented in practice.
For example, we are currently investigating
ways to optimise our feed recipes
with the goal of reducing our use
rate with the German Research Centre
for Artificial Intelligence GmbH (DFKI)
and various companies to develop a
mobile visual quality detection system
for food, with the goal of improving
the screening process. Fruits, vegetables
or cuts of meat with significant
We create new variations and refine our cutting
techniques, with the result that we can now process
almost all of the turkey – except for 3%. This
forms part of our concept of sustainability. At the
same time, we don’t just take current food trends
into account. We also draw fresh inspiration from
store checks and professional tools such as the
Mintel database, which gives us global access to
trends, new products and ingredients. This is important
for our business since it helps us to strike
a chord with consumers and lets us identify which
aspects we need to focus on moving forward. Ensuring
careful handling of the allocated resources
is always a prerequisite. Naturally, we also ask our
suppliers to participate in this process; for example,
by organising annual supplier days with our
(mostly regional) partners.
Research conducted
in our own test
stables
In the area of animal husbandry, we conduct
research in our two test stables and carry out
application observations. Whether comparing
feed rations, alternative protein sources, animal
genetics, enrichment materials or new housing
of – or completely replacing – soya as
a protein source by switching to processed
animal protein.
In recent years, we have already
gained numerous insights via a wide
range of research projects and have
also brought them to the market, ensuring
that many of our findings are
actually implemented in practice on
turkey farms.
Use of artificial
intelligence
(AI)
signs of damage or spoilage must be
identified and removed from the processing
cycle. This involves a complex
quality control process that poses an
enormous challenge for the human
eye. In order to optimise this process
with the help of artificial intelligence,
the Movi-Q project focused on developing
a mobile system for automatic
quality recognition.
The goal is to develop a commercially
viable prototype so that the new system
can subsequently be used on an industrial
scale.
By using artificial intelligence it is possible
to significantly increase the level
Product development
We are also embracing AI by support-
of automation in the food industry, im-
ing innovative projects in this field.
HEIDEMARK is currently working on
the Movi-Q project (Mobile visual
quality recognition through artificial
intelligence for the food indus-
prove food processing through better
quality control and achieve more sustainable
production by reducing food
waste. This can also have a positive economic
impact. The project is being fund-
try). The German Institute of Food
ed by the Federal Ministry of Food and
Technologies (DIL) intends to collabo-
Agriculture.

03.
Our
sustainability goal
Animal
welfare
• Increase the proportion of animals
from labelling scheme "Haltungsform
3" by 50% by the end of 2025

HEIDEMARK
3.1
28 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
HUSBANDRY SYSTEMS 29
m 2
Max. 58 kg/m2 toms
Max. 52 kg/m2 hens
Husbandry systems
The different husbandry systems in animal farming
were established by the German retail sector to provide
transparency for purchasing decisions. Accordingly,
they make it easy to determine in which husbandry system
the animal was kept.
• Dry bedding suitable for pecking, scratching and dust bathing
• Fundamentally robust and healthy breeding lines
• QS-approved feed
• Recording of diagnostic data at the slaughterhouse
and qualified antibiotic monitoring
• QS certification
Housing system
(in open barns)
• Inspection of all farms by neutral external certification
bodies in accordance with the QS inspection system
The farms are classified according to
the respective husbandry systems on
that supply us are certified in accordance
with husbandry system 1, which
of husbandry and animal welfare programmes
is very important to us, in 2022
m 2
At least 10% more space
Max. 53 kg/m2 toms
Max. 48 kg/m2 hens
the basis of the QS and ITW guidelines.
Depending on the husbandry
level, the farms must present the
corresponds to the QS standard. The
majority of German farms are also
certified in accordance with husband-
we created a framework to ensure a continuous
supply of goods from husbandry
system 3 in close collaboration with our
Housing system
(in open barns)
corresponding certificate, which is
dependent on regular inspections by
external auditors.
We currently offer products originating
from husbandry systems 1 to 3.
As a minimum requirement, all farms
ry system 2, which meets the criteria
established by the ITW animal welfare
initiative. These farms have reduced
their stocking density by 10% and also
use non-GMO animal feed.
Since the ongoing development
stakeholders. We are in the process of
gradually expanding this segment with
the goal of establishing it as part of our
customers’ product ranges in the long
term.
Our farms that correspond to husbandry
system 3 are certified under
• Organic enrichment materials made of changeable and consumable
materials, e.g. straw, pecking stones. At least one item for every 400 m2
of barn area or part thereof
• Fundamentally robust and healthy breeding lines
• QS-approved non-GMO feed
• Recording of diagnostic data at the slaughterhouse and qualified
antibiotic monitoring
• Inspection of all farms by neutral external certification bodies in
accordance with the QS, ITW and VLOG inspection systems
Facts and figures about
outdoor climate areas
The size of the outdoor climate
area (OCA) constitutes a minimum
of 20% and a maximum of
25% of the usable barn area.
The OCA has a minimum height of
2 metres. Openings to the OCA
are evenly distributed along the
longitudinal side and must account
for a minimum of 5% of the
width of the outdoor climate area.
the HEIDEMARK PRO Tierwohl welfare
standard. In concrete terms, this means
the farms are required to reduce their
stocking density by 30% and provide
more enrichment materials as well as an
additional outdoor climate area for the
animals. The other husbandry systems
already include an outdoor climate stimulus
in the form of open barns. However,
this is enhanced by the addition of a second
barn area and an additional opening
in the barn.
The specific requirements for the different
husbandry systems are listed below.
• Organic enrichment materials made of changeable and consumable
materials, e.g. straw, pecking stones. For every 400 m2 of barn area or
part thereof, at least one pecking stone and for every 200 m2 of barn
area or part thereof, one filled hanging rack and one bale of straw
• Fundamentally robust and healthy breeding lines
• Slow-growing or fast-growing breeds in compliance
with the minimum slaughtering age
• QS-approved non-GMO feed
m 2
• Recording of diagnostic data at the slaughterhouse
and qualified antibiotic monitoring
At least 30% more space
Max. 41 kg/m2 toms
Max. 37 kg/m2 hens
Housing system with
permanent access to the
outdoor climate area
• Inspection of all farms by neutral external certification bodies in
accordance with the QS, ITW, VLOG and HEIDEMARK PRO inspection
systems

30
HEIDEMARK
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
3.2
3.3
INDICATORS LOADING 31
Indicators
Loading
Since 2010, we have been working with experts
from research and agriculture to make animal welfare
verifiable by means of indicators.
Our goal is to load the animals for transport to the
slaughterhouse as calmly and animal-friendly as
possible.
We have developed a bonus system on this basis.
The more positive the animal welfare indi-
health in turkeys can be influenced by the bedding
quality. In addition to recording this data
We use a loading technique that we helped to develop,
whereby we try to ensure that the turkeys
For these reasons, we use loading conveyors
at HEIDEMARK.
cators, the higher the bonus payment for the
in the barns, other relevant animal welfare indi-
are handled as little as possible. Were the loading
Via conveyor belts, the turkeys are transported
turkey farmer. These payments are independent
of the current animal welfare programmes. In
other words, we make sure the turkey farmer also
has a financial incentive to promote the turkeys’
well-being.
By recording the animal welfare indicators we can
cators are recorded at slaughter. The birds’ foot
pad health and breast skin changes are evaluated
with the aid of cameras. The results of this evaluation
are reported back to the turkey farmers,
enabling them to continuously improve their
barn and bedding management in order to keep
the animals in better condition. Through our field
procedure to be carried out manually, the loading
staff would need to touch each bird and place
it into the boxes on the lorry. Given that these
animals weigh between 15 and 21 kg each, this
would place an enormous physical strain on the
loading staff. This loading procedure would also
subject the animals to additional stress.
directly from the barn to the transport boxes on
the lorries. As a result, they usually require little
to no handling. This protected loading process
improves animal welfare and reduces the workload
for the loading personnel.
generate data about the animals’ well-being and
service staff and our team of veterinarians, we
thus make a positive contribution to husbandry
provide livestock owners with expert support to
management on farms. For example, foot pad
ensure optimal conditions for their animals.
In order to fully guarantee animal
welfare during loading and
transport, both the loading personnel
and the drivers are specially
trained to ensure they have
the necessary expertise to safely
handle the animals. At their destination
in Ahlhorn, the turkeys
are inspected and evaluated by
the district’s official veterinarians
upon arrival.

04.
Ecology
Our
sustainability goals
• Conversion of all print jobs
to FSC paper by the
end of 2023
• Plant 2 hectares of flowerbeds
on our own turkey farms
by the end of 2025
• We plan to reduce our CO2e
emissions by 40% by 2030
and to achieve carbonneutral
operations by 2045

HEIDEMARK
4.1
34 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
CLIMATE & ENERGY 35
Climate & energy
Since 2012, we have maintained our certification under
the DIN EN ISO 50001 energy management system for
our Ahlhorn site by means of annual external audits. In
2015, our own turkey farms were also included in our
energy management system.
In recent
years, we
have
consistently
met our goal
of achieving
1.3% energy
savings
per year.
In recent years, we have consistently
met our goal of achieving 1.3% energy
savings per year. As a result, we have
reduced our energy consumption
by 15% since 2012. In 2022, for example,
we reduced the temperature
of our hot water system, including the
water used for cleaning, resulting in
savings of around 250 tonnes of CO2e
with no reduction in quality.
15%
We also installed a new, state-of-theart,
high-efficiency crate washing system
in 2022. It has a 30% higher output,
but uses one third less water than
our old system. In order to achieve our
climate targets, we began working
on a transformation concept for our
production site in 2023. The site is currently
being re-evaluated in terms of
energy usage. Based on the results of
energy savings over the
last 10 years
this analysis, we plan to develop a new heating
and cooling concept to avoid the use of
fossil fuels at our Ahlhorn site in the future. At
the same time, we are currently analysing our
electricity consumption. In the long term, we
plan to use green electricity and green lorry/
car fuel. The plan is to become as self-sufficient
as possible by installing our own wind and solar
farm.
6,228 t CO2*
6000
4000
2000
2022
Our goal:
40%
reduction in
CO2e emissions
2032
2045
*These are the Scope 1+2 emissions of HEIDEMARK Mästerkreis GmbH & Co. KG;
the calculations were carried out using the market-based method.
Our climate goal is
carbon neutrality
by 2045.

HEIDEMARK
4.2
36 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
WATER
37
Water
UV wastewater disinfection
system
Microbiological safety is a key aspect
of wastewater disposal. We want to
and must ensure this before we return
the wastewater to the environment.
So how do we prevent the release
of multi-resistant bacteria into the
immediate environment? We have
installed a UV wastewater disinfection
system. This is permanently monitored,
just like our entire wastewater
treatment plant. If a fault occurs
unexpectedly, a push notification is
immediately sent to the supervisor’s
phone and the fault is rectified.
The fact that we need to protect our environment and
use the available resources with extreme care is undisputed.
How do we do this at HEIDEMARK?
We have installed an additional system
next to our wastewater treat-
the authorities. We are proud of our
tion, we are regularly inspected by
ment plant to recycle the pretreated water treatment plant.
water that it produces – and thus We are also especially proud of our
conserve one of the world’s most valuable
resources. We have managed person responsible for our wastewa-
energy management officer and the
to increase our water recycling ter treatment plant, Rainer Lüken. He
rate from 21% to 44% in recent was instrumental in developing the
years. Our treated water has the plant from the outset and is always
quality of ironing water. The quality coming up with new, profitable ideas
of this water is confirmed via regular for further improvements in the area
internal and external tests. In addi-
of water usage.
Water recycling
rate
21.58%
24.98%
44.12%
44.80%
44.20%
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
We can control
our wastewater
treatment
plant’s
parameters
remotely via
smartphone.
The water from the
plant is sampled
twelve times
per year.
Every day, additional samples are
taken at various stages in the water
recycling process. Specifically,
these samples are collected upon
the water’s arrival from the production
facility, at the discharge point
in the primary treatment plant, and
before the water is discharged into
the receiving water body.

38
HEIDEMARK
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
4.3
PACKAGING
4.4
WASTE
39
Packaging
Waste
Our top priority is to ensure that our products are
always securely packaged and remain so until their
expiration date.
Consistent waste avoidance not only protects the environment,
but also improves our economic performance at the
same time.
Nevertheless, we are constantly working on
ways to further improve our packaging without
jeopardising product safety. The focus here is
on functionality, reducing the volume of packaging
material and, of course, recyclability. To
achieve this, we maintain a constant dialogue
with our suppliers. To date, we have successfully
worked on reducing the material thickness to
the minimum required for machine handling.
We also rely on mono-materials that greatly
simplify the disposal process for the consumer.
In other words, we want to make it as easy
as possible to dispose of the packaging components
after consuming the product. And
wherever possible, we dispense with the use
of packaging components altogether: some of
our products no longer have an absorbent insert,
which significantly reduces the amount of
material used in the packaging.
Of a total of 164 different materials in our
primary and secondary packaging, at least
90% are compatible with the recycling circuit
in Germany.
With this in mind, we are always trying to reduce
the amount of material used in our product packaging,
as well as the volume of waste we produce.
As far as possible, we try to recycle unavoidable
waste and thus contribute to a closed-loop economy.
In 2022, 91% of our total waste volume
was recycled. Almost 8% of this waste was converted
into biogas in a biogas plant. On average,
only 1% of our waste is incinerated as residual
waste.
In 2022, HEIDEMARK generated a total waste volume
of around 86,000 tonnes – approximately
13,000 tonnes less than in 2021. However, this figure
must be evaluated in relation to the slaughter
volume – naturally, if fewer turkeys are slaughtered,
less waste is produced. Even when the reduced
slaughter volume is considered, we were
still able to reduce our total waste volume by 2%
compared to the previous year. At HEIDEMARK
we want to continue in this direction by eliminating
waste wherever possible. We only produce
hazardous waste (as defined in the European
Commission’s waste regulation) in very small
quantities. Indeed, hazardous waste accounts for
just 0.004% of the total volume of waste that we
generate.
90%
recyclable
packaging
HEIDEMARK
reduced its
waste volume
by 2%
compared to the
previous year.

HEIDEMARK
4.5
ECOLOGY
4.1
40 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
BIODIVERSITY 4.5 TOPIC
BIODIVERSITY 41
Biodiversity
In 2022, we began sowing flowering meadows on some
of our turkey farms.
It hums and
buzzes: our
insect
filling station
for greater
biodiversity.
Flowering
meadow
To prevent pests from entering the
barns, we keep the plants and flowers
a safe distance from the animal
housing.
In Saxony-Anhalt we have planted a
2000-sqm wildflower meadow in partnership
with the landscape conservation
association “Altmark-Elb-Havel-Winkel”.
This meadow of poppies,
sunflowers and thistles provides a
habitat for insects and thus promotes
species conservation. In 2025, we plan
to expand these areas to two hectares,
and then gradually expand them further
over the following years.
Feed
Our feed rations contain 20% soya.
The use of soya is frequently criticised
because primary forests in some parts
of Brazil are being converted into soya
bean cultivation areas. For this reason,
we rely on agricultural raw materials
that are deforestation-free. Deforestation-free
raw materials refers to crops,
in this case soya, that can be cultivated
without first having to clear land. For
South American soya, we request sustainability
certificates (RTRS and ProTerra)
from our feed suppliers every year.
The new EU regulation on deforestation-free
supply chains means that, in
future, products placed on the market
in the European Union must originate
solely from deforestation-free areas. In
line with this, Qualität und Sicherheit
GmbH (QS) has developed the Soja
Plus standard (freedom from deforestation),
according to which all QS-certified
feed companies must be certified
from 2024. Since our entire value chain
is certified under the QS standard, this
applies to all feed companies that supply
us. The mandatory criteria to ensure
freedom from deforestation are
then verified via external audits.
Despite this, we continue to research
alternative protein sources with the
goal of replacing soya with other raw
materials. For this purpose, we conduct
ongoing feeding trials in our own
test stables.

Our
sustainability goals
• From 2024, every manager will
be required to attend at least
two management training
courses per year
05.
• We plan to conduct a staff
survey at least every
three years
• We aim to maintain our 80%
trainee retention rate
until 2025
• By 2025, we plan to offer at
least 15 training places
per year
Social
responsibility
• We intend to expand and
improve our internal
communications by means
of our employee app

44
HEIDEMARK
5.1
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023 EMPLOYEES 45
Employees
At HEIDEMARK, we never judge people by their nationality,
culture, religion or sexual orientation. Their
professional skills with regard to the job in question
are all that matter to us.
The proportion of women in
leadership positions at our company is 34%.
We have anchored this in our Code of Conduct
and live these values every day. In order to
overcome language barriers, we have also appointed
employees from our production and
human resources departments to act as interpreters.
These colleagues enable us to assist
our non-German-speaking employees more
to promote integration in general, our Human
Resources department maintains a constant
dialogue with our permanent contacts at the
Federal Employment Agency and with other cooperation
partners (e.g. educational institutions
and schools).
49.17%
from Romania
29.96%
from Germany
effectively. They also provide support on issues
outside the workplace.
For example, we work with the local authorities
to facilitate the arrival of new workers and find
solutions as required. We also help new employees
to find accommodation and provide a limited
number of modern living spaces. In order
In recent years, we have implemented a flexible
working time model to improve the work-life
balance for our staff. Based on the results of our
employee satisfaction survey, we evaluate our
working conditions at least every three years
and adapt them to the needs of our workforce.
Much.
More.
Us.
3.52%
from Vietnam
3.52%
from Bulgaria
2.09%
from Lithuania
63%
male*
11.74%
other countries
37%
female*
We are a member of the Verband der
Ernährungswirtschaft e.V. (VdEW), which
concludes collective agreements with the
Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (NGG) trade union.
This means that we are a collectively bound employer.
To guarantee fair pay regardless of factors
such as gender or religion, our management
team receives regular reports on this topic. To
ensure that we can offer our staff long-term prospects
within our company, around 65% of our
employees have permanent contracts.
*of all employees at HEIDEMARK

46
HEIDEMARK
5.2
5.3
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023 PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY 47
Personnel development
Occupational health & safety
At HEIDEMARK we endeavour to counteract the shortage
of skilled workers through various training and further
education opportunities. Accordingly, we provide
training in five different professions every year.
A healthy working environment is essential for our employees
and for the company as a whole. To guarantee this, we
have a company doctor who carries out all the necessary
occupational health check-ups.
In 2022
we had a
total of 22
trainees.
In 2022 we had a total of 22 trainees
and a retention rate of 80%. It is
gratifying to note that several of our
past trainees have excelled to such
an extent within our company that
they currently occupy managerial
roles.
Feedback and employee discussions
take place at regular intervals. This
enables us to work with individual
employees to identify their specific
development and support needs as
well as suitable training measures.
HEIDEMARK invests in its employees
and thus in the future of the company.
And this starts with our onboarding
process, which is based on a
structured and personalised induction
plan. We also offer a mentoring
scheme to aid new employees during
their transition into the company.
Our managers are required to
attend annual leadership seminars,
thereby ensuring continuous improvements
in this area. In 2023, we
will launch a new management
programme called “Leading at
HEIDEMARK”. This will enable our
managers to participate in the creation
of seminar topics aligned with
their current challenges, thereby
fostering a contemporary leadership
culture at HEIDEMARK.
Via these measures we can ensure
continuous personnel development
and contribute towards SDG 4: “Ensure
inclusive, equitable and quality
education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all”.
This also includes, among other things, flu vaccinations
and suitability assessments for workplaces.
Since 2022, we have offered our employees
easier access to occupational disability insurance
as well as a bicycle leasing scheme with the goal
of encouraging them to cycle more often and
thus take preventive steps towards protecting
their health. At the same time, we encourage our
staff to take part in various sporting events in order
to promote team cohesion and increase their
motivation to participate in group exercise.
To prevent accidents, we have appointed occupational
safety specialists and safety officers who
sit on our occupational safety committee, which
meets regularly to discuss improvements, perform
evaluations and carry out workplace inspections
with our company doctor. In this way, risk
assessments can be created for every workplace.
In addition, we have commissioned an external
company to carry out audits at regular intervals,
highlight any deficiencies and systematically help
us to improve occupational safety.
During the coronavirus pandemic, we tested all
our employees on a regular basis over a period of
several months. In total, more than 300,000 tests
were carried out. We also installed air purification
systems in our production building to prevent
infections. When the vaccines became available
in 2021, we were able to quickly achieve a high
vaccination quota among our employees by organising
vaccination appointments with the local
GP surgeries.
Reportable accidents
5.9 5.6
4.5
2020 2021 2022
per 100 employees
With regard to accidents, we have
set ourselves a target of keeping
the number of reportable
accidents per 100 employees to
fewer than five per year.

HEIDEMARK
5.4
48 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
REGIONAL COMMITMENTS 49
Regional commitments
Each year, HEIDEMARK donates money to a number of worthy
causes. We favour local donations due to our strong
ties to the Oldenburg Münsterland region since 1965.
Instead of
buying gifts for
our business
customers, we
donate
money to
good causes at
Christmas time.
volunteer fire department in Ahlhorn,
the language support school
in Ahlhorn, or the hospice in Cloppenburg,
HEIDEMARK donates to
these organisations. We provide fast,
of both financial donations and food.
Weekly donations to food banks are
more important than ever as these
vital services have seen a significant
increase in demand.
77 .380 €
donated to food
We also provide support outside
our region; for example, by donating
food and money to the flood
victims in the Ahr Valley and sending
food to the people of Ukraine.
In the latter case, we donated
around € 70,000 worth of food
to the Ukrainians – it was distributed
in the towns of Bucha, Irpin
and Hostomel in the Kiev region.
We are always happy to see firsthand
how our donations have been
used. This was the reason for our visit
banks in 2022
penburg in 2022. The hospice helps
people during their most difficult
journey and makes their remaining
time as rich and fulfilling as possible.
For this purpose, a professional
team of full-time and voluntary staff
is available around the clock at the
wanderlicht inpatient hospice. During
our conversations on site we
learned which activities – partially
financed by donations – took place
in 2022 as well as those planned for
2023.
*
100 k €
in 2022
for other causes
HEIDEMARK not only provides financial
support, but also donates food
and other products.
Support
in the form of
donations
is a part of the
HEIDEMARK
culture.
Whether it's for amateur sports, the
uncomplicated support in the form
to the wanderlicht hospice in Clop-
*Value of goods for products

50
HEIDEMARK
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2023
Imprint
Publisher
HEIDEMARK GmbH
Lether Gewerbestrasse 2
26197 Alhorn, Germany
Dr. Hanna Strüve
Sustainability Officer
Design
Extra & Bold Design GmbH
Europa-Allee 20
49685 Emstek, Germany
Picture credits
Photographs:
Sigrun Strangmann Photography
Images from film footage:
BOCKFILM Film- und Fernsehproduktion GmbH
Illustrations:
Mauco Sosa
Translation agency
Schmieder Übersetzungen GmbH
Schussenstraße 16
88273 Fronreute-Staig, Germany