{"id":120051,"date":"2025-11-07T10:58:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T09:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bioecoactual.com\/?p=120051"},"modified":"2025-11-07T10:58:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T09:58:24","slug":"eosta-expands-organic-cranberry-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bioecoactual.com\/en\/2025\/11\/07\/eosta-expands-organic-cranberry-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Eosta expands organic cranberry program bringing festive fruit without the environmental cost"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leading organic fresh produce specialist Eosta<\/strong> has heralded the start and continuing expansion of its innovative organic cranberry program, which has proven successful in helping tackle some of The Netherlands\u2019 biggest environmental challenges linked to dairy farming in vulnerable peatlands.<\/p>\n

\"organic<\/p>\n

Beginning in early November and running through to late December, Eosta will have cranberries available from The Cranberry Company<\/strong>, a true pioneer in farming with nature, who grow the fruit on 18 hectares of peat soil in The Netherlands\u2019 Krimpenerwaard region.<\/p>\n

It may be intrinsically linked with the festive season, but the fruit is increasingly in demand across Europe and beyond, with large volumes being exported to organic and speciality food shops in Germany, plus the UK organic grocery chain Able & Cole<\/strong>. However, The Cranberry Company\u2019s biggest impact has arguably been closer to home, and it has been as much a result of the grower\u2019s pioneering production methods as the products themselves.<\/p>\n

A viable alternative<\/h2>\n

Grown in wet peatlands where decades of dairy farming have caused soil degradation, water loss, and placed already low-lying areas under increased threat from rising sea levels, The Cranberry Company has shown that replacing cattle with cranberries is not only environmentally beneficial, but is also economically viable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In areas where dairy farming is becoming increasingly problematic, cranberry cultivation provides a climate-positive alternative for wet peatlands where keeping the soil wet is essential to helping reduce CO\u2082 emissions due to peat oxidation, prevent soil subsidence, and stimulating biodiversity.<\/p>\n

But, more than this, the innovative production methods being used by The Cranberry Company help ensure a better quality product with a long shelf life<\/strong>. Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, the 100% organically-grown cranberries are dry-harvested rather than the common \u2018wet harvesting method,\u2019 which involves flooding fields and shaking berries loose.<\/p>\n

The Cranberry Company has shown that replacing cattle with cranberries is not only environmentally beneficial, but is also economically viable<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Consistently high quality<\/h3>\n

According to The Cranberry Company\u2019s Matthijs Crouwers<\/strong>, this approach results in firm, flavorful berries with consistently high quality, and a longer shelf life than wet-harvested berries. He said: \u201cWe’ve been underway almost 10 years, growing in peatlands where soil substance is a big problem. We are located in an area two-three meters below sea level, and draining the peatlands for diary farming causes the level of the land to fall even further.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to re-wet the peatlands, and we have found we can grow cranberries on them. But we don\u2019t just grow organic cranberries, it\u2019s also related to peat restoration, soil substance, combating climate change, and helping biodiversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supported from Eosta from its initial harvests, Crouwers said The Cranberry Company had been expanding production every year, and was now confident of being able to supply all the cranberries Eosta will sell during the current season.<\/p>\n

Casper Velthuijs<\/strong>, Eosta\u2019s Product Manager for Cranberries, said: \u201cThese are great quality berries with excellent shelf life that enables us to overcome some of the storage issues associated with cranberries. \u201cFrom a sustainability point of view, this is also a valuable product because oxidizing peat landscapes is a major issue, and they have found a solution for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

About Eosta<\/h4>\n

Eosta<\/strong> \u2013 with Nature & More as transparency brand \u2013 was established in 1990 and over the past 35 years has developed into a leading European distributor of organic fruit and vegetables.<\/p>\n

The company is known for its sustainability campaigns such as The True Cost of Food, Natural Branding, Living Wage and Save Our Soils. Eosta\u2019s Organic Raingrown Avocado won the inaugural True Price Award in 2025, a prize that has been created to highlight fair pricing and transparency in fresh produce supply chains. It was also awarded Bioproduct of the Year 2025 in The Netherlands, and took third place at the 2025 Fruit Logistica Innovation Awards.<\/p>\n