20.12.2024 – By Annalena Cerato & Estefania Marti
At the third Global Partnership on the True Price of Food (GPTPF) member meeting of the year, Stefan Baecke,founder of Yespers, shared his company’s bold vision to retain value throughout the entire food chain. True Price has played a pivotal role in this journey by collaborating with Yespers to independently assess the external costs of their apple-derived production process.
A comparative True Price analysis highlighted critical opportunities to reduce hidden costs—such as those related to climate change, land use, and scarce water use—through a new waste management pipeline. These insights not only guided Yespers in reducing external costs but also supported investor and stakeholder engagement, paving the way for the official opening of the world’s first Total Value Factory—a zero-waste apple processing facility where every part of the apple is fully utilised.
The Total Value Factory
At the new Total Value Factory, apples are fully utilised. This zero-waste method transforms what would traditionally be discarded.
By valuing every component of the apple, Yespers not only eliminates waste but also demonstrates how innovative processing can reduce environmental and social costs—applying our true price method in practice.
- Stems are dried and incorporated into apple tea blends.
- Seeds are finely pressed to produce nutrient-rich apple oil.
- Cores and pulp are transformed into juice and then further processed into apple fruit powder.
The Total Value Factory is also a model for social inclusion. It provides employment opportunities to individuals distanced from the labor market, offering skill development, coaching, and certification through the Yespers Academy.
Collaboration across the food chain
At True Price, we see this as an inspiring example of collaboration and transparency across the food chain. It’s an example of how true pricing principles—measuring and addressing the hidden costs of production—can inspire practical solutions for businesses and food producers alike.
Curious to learn more? Join our Global Partnership on the True Price of Food, in collaboration with the Netherlands Food Partnership. Together, we can accelerate the understanding and adoption of true pricing to drive real impact in food systems.
