1st place in Germany's most renowned award for exemplary ecological and social achievements – that's simply incredible!
We are incredibly proud and happy to be among Germany's 100 pioneers of transformation.
We are incredibly proud and happy to be among Germany's 100 pioneers of transformation.
The jury honored us in the category fruit, vegetable, and grain processing "for particularly effective, successful, and exemplary contributions to transformation in the German economy." A great recognition for our sustainable commitment!
But it gets even better. Because we actually also received the special award for the transformation field "Nature"!
TV presenter Dirk Steffens congratulates our managing director Martin Eras.
But now, let's take a deep breath and start from the beginning. :)
The German Sustainability Award (DNP) is considered one of the most important awards for sustainable development in Europe. An important goal is to raise public awareness for environmental and climate protection as well as social responsibility in various societal areas. The DNP is one of the largest awards of its kind in Europe and is presented annually – now for the 17th time.
It is guided by the goals of the 2030 Agenda and thus by the essential transformation fields such as climate, biodiversity, resources, supply chain, and society.
But how did we even receive the award?
Over 200 jurors from research, associations, consulting, and civil society selected us as one of 100 pioneering companies. From the perspective of these experts, we have made effective, successful, and exemplary contributions to transformation.
On November 28th, all 100 companies that received the DNP17 were invited, along with various guests of honor, to the grand award ceremony at the MARITIM Hotel Düsseldorf - an impressive event!
Around 1,200 CEOs and sustainability officers of the winning and finalist companies, representatives of the juries, and guests from all relevant sectors came together to honor the pioneers of transformation in Germany.
The big stage was ours too - twice, in fact. :)
Of course, the mood was already excellent on the journey. Because we already knew beforehand that we would be honored with the German Sustainability Award. And the anticipation was even surpassed, because the moment of the award presentation was very special! We were honored because, from the experts' perspective, Barnhouse "provides the most convincing answers to the challenges of sustainability" in the fruit, vegetable, and grain processing industry. We demonstrate particularly effective, successful, and exemplary contributions to transformation and thus serve as a role model for other companies.
For us Barnies, this is a great motivation and at the same time a confirmation to continue on our path.
The other winners were also absolutely thrilled with their award, as can be seen here in the group photo.
But there was still one award to be announced. :)
Namely, the special award in the transformation fields of climate, resources, society, and nature. Together with our long-standing partner BODAN (wholesale for organic food GmbH) and Illucens (pioneer in sustainable protein production), we were nominated as a finalist for the transformation field Nature. During the discussion round of the finalists with ARD presenter Judith Rakers and company-specific questions on sustainable action, the tension grew ever greater as to who would win the prize – because here the winner was not yet known beforehand.
And then came the big, exciting moment and Judith Rakers announced the winner: "And the winner is... Barnhouse!" And of course, Martin's joy knew no bounds – completely understandable for such a special award. Overjoyed, he proudly accepted the prize from Judith Rakers (center) and WWF Germany board member Heike Vespers (left).
This special award is a very special recognition for our commitment to nature. Because we are We-Care certified, which underlines our commitment to ecological and social standards along the entire supply chain. And through cooperation with our nearly 90 farmers, we exclusively use oat and spelt flakes from the region for our Krunchy. In addition, our farmers grow their grain in mixed cropping, thereby ensuring more biodiversity, healthier plants, and better soil quality. We also support them with workshops and in organic cultivation trials. This effort was rewarded with the special prize and makes us proud of what we have already achieved. And we definitely want to continue pursuing our holistic approach of ecological responsibility, social justice, and economic sustainability with high priority.
In addition to the 100 pioneering companies, special guests also received their well-deserved awards. For example, Mary Robinson – the first female President of Ireland – received the honorary award for her decades of commitment to equality, climate justice, and human dignity. The singer and activist Dani Klein, frontwoman of the group Vaya Con Dios, was honored for her political and ecological commitment and provided musical entertainment. Singer Nico Santos also received this special award for his social engagement and created a great atmosphere with his performance.
The award ceremony of the 17th German Sustainability Award was perfectly planned and a complete delight from beginning to end – as was the impressive plant-based menu by Michelin-starred chef Nelson Müller.
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