In the interest of both consumers and the planet

Pawel Nowak, Member of Executive Board, Goodvalley Polska

Climate-friendly meat production? Unbelievable, but not impossible! This is what Goodvalley stands for - a company that from the farm to the table to marketing is guided by the principle of caring for the planet and the future of our next generations.

Is it possible for a meat producer to urge consumers to limit their meat consumption? ‘Yes! Ideologically we are more aligned with people who don't eat meat at all for various reasons. We believe that it is acceptable to eat meat, but not as much as we do now. It is definitely better to eat meat less often, but when we do, it’s better to choose products with clean labels and high quality,’ asserts Paweł Nowak, CEO of Goodvalley. And these are not empty words only - in its promotional campaigns, the company encourages people to switch to a flexitarian diet, educates consumers on the environmental aspects of production and invites the industry to follow its example.

The closed production cycle phenomenon

When the company was founded, the aim was to keep the environmental impact, including the carbon footprint, as low as possible. 

In order to achieve this, Goodvalley continued to introduce innovative solutions, which led to the creation of a self-sufficient production cycle with minimal carbon footprint.

‘27 years ago when the company was founded, our environmental practices were unique in Poland. When we built our first biogas plant 16 years ago, or when we certified our zero carbon footprint in 2013, we were doing it because we believed and still believe it is our mission. Today, after many years, we are happy that this food production approach is starting to be recognised by consumers and the legislative community,’ adds Paweł.

“The farm-to-table sustainable agriculture system makes Goodvalley products not only good for consumers, but also for the planet”

To better understand how our company completely reduces its carbon footprint, it is good to divide the process into two steps.

First, a comprehensive approach along the entire production chain. The fields, feed mill, farms and processing plant are all located within short distances, which significantly reduces transport. Goodvalley grows its own grain for animal feed using no-till and precision farming methods. It then processes the crop in its own feed mills to produce a wholesome, antibiotic-free animal feed. Thanks to this approach, the carbon footprint is minimized right from the start.

But it doesn't stop there. All production takes place in a closed, self-sufficient system, and the waste that is generated during the production process is used in biogas plants, generating 60 GWh of electricity per year. This satisfies 100 percent of the company's energy demand, and the surplus is delivered to the power system. It is worth mentioning that Goodvalley is the largest producer of energy generated by agricultural activity in Poland. The heat produced in the process of burning methane is used to heat the plant and its surrounding buildings, and the digestate is returned to the fields as a completely natural and ecological fertiliser.

The farm-to-table sustainable agriculture system makes Goodvalley products not only good for consumers, but also for the planet.

‘In Poland we have excellent potential for sustainable agriculture and a market for such products. What is more, Polish consumers are among the most food conscious in Europe and declare their beliefs through the contents of their plates. And so do we - by taking care of every stage of production, we show that the future of the next generations is of utmost importance to us’. - adds the CEO.