{"id":28327,"date":"2020-06-25T12:47:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T10:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/?p=28327"},"modified":"2026-04-01T09:23:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T07:23:36","slug":"pro-planet-apple-project-partnership-at-eye-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/press-and-media\/newsroom\/stories\/pro-planet-apple-project-partnership-at-eye-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro Planet apple project: partnership at eye level"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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An idea goes viral: When it was launched in 2010, the Pro Planet apple project was an initiative to promote biodiversity in the Lake Constance region. More than 450 farmers throughout Germany and parts of Austria are now involved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What do apples, cherries and broccoli have in common? Sure, all three are foods. But there is something else they have in common: Without insects as industrious pollinators, their fruits would be much leaner. This is because they would have to rely on the wind to carry the pollen through the air for reproduction. However, this only works with sweet grasses, wheat, rye or maize. Experts say that up to 75 percent of our plant-based foods are dependent on pollination by bees and other insects.<\/p>\n

But this well-functioning cycle is in danger. According to studies, the number of flying insects in nature reserves has fallen by 75 percent in recent decades. According to the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation’s red list, one in three insect species is endangered or already extinct. Why? Because humans are depriving many species of their habitat. For example, by mowing meadows too frequently, spraying fields with insecticides and herbicides and either building on or using more and more open spaces for other purposes.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Blueprint Lake Constance project<\/h2>\n

How biodiversity can be promoted when agriculture, nature conservation and trade work together has been demonstrated in many orchards around Lake Constance since 2010 – in a joint project between REWE Group, regional beekeepers, farmers from Obst vom Bodensee Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH and environmentalists and conservationists from the Lake Constance Foundation.<\/p>\n

The idea: to create more food and nesting opportunities for flower-seeking insects in the apple growers’ conventional acreage. To this end, we formulated a long list of measures right at the start of the project – from setting up nesting aids to creating flower meadows and flowering hedges,<\/q> explains Patrick Tr\u00f6tschler, Deputy Managing Director of the Lake Constance Foundation. He is responsible for the foundation’s agricultural projects and oversees the apple project in the Lake Constance region. The foundation’s regular success checks prove that the fruit growers’ commitment is paying off. Together, we have achieved a clear turnaround. The measures have contributed to a significant improvement in the wild bee population,<\/q> emphasizes Tr\u00f6tschler.<\/p>\n

The project shows that nature conservation and agriculture can complement each other. Nature conservation has its own practical incentive for our fruit growers. It ensures that the orchards can be used in the long term – by pollinating them with bees. This closes the circle between nature conservation and profitability. This is a great opportunity for all of us,<\/q> emphasizes Inga Mohr, Head of Marketing at Obst vom Bodensee Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH. Many farmers outside of the Lake Constance region also think so.<\/p>\n

And it’s no longer just about apples or other stone fruit. The REWE Group, Naturschutzbund Deutschland e. V. (NABU) with regional nature conservation organizations as well as the Rheinische Kulturlandschaft Foundation with its sister foundations as supporters and numerous farmers ensure that the “Pro Planet Biodiversity Project” is also extended to other fruit and vegetable crops. The commitment is also visible to consumers: through the labeling of products with the Pro Planet label “For more biodiversity”, with which REWE Group makes its commitment to the preservation of biological diversity visible.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Sustainable apple juice from Poland<\/h2>\n

The Pro Planet biodiversity project, run jointly with nature conservation organizations, is the blueprint for an initiative that REWE Group has launched together with the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP) and fruit growers in the Grojec region. In Poland’s largest apple-growing region, farmers are creating habitats for bees and other insects as well as birds on selected orchards through various nature conservation measures. For example, they create flower strips or set up insect hotels, thus contributing to greater biodiversity. The apples purchased from these fruit growers are handled separately. They are used to produce the Pro Planet-labeled juice of the REWE Beste Wahl and Paradiso brands, which REWE and PENNY launched in spring. Why Poland? The country is the largest apple-growing region in Europe.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Farmers, flowering meadows, trees<\/h2>\n

At the end of last year, more than 450 farmers took part in the Pro Planet biodiversity project, including 353 fruit farms (apples, pears, cherries, plums). The other participants grew carrots, romaine lettuce hearts, iceberg lettuce, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, potatoes and onions. In total, the participating farms either planted or upgraded 612 hectares of annual and perennial flowering areas. They installed 10,130 nesting boxes and nesting aids for birds and bats as well as 4,722 insect nesting aids. They also planted more than 14,380 trees, hedges and shrubs, installed 1,673 perches and created 259 deadwood piles, to name just a few examples from the comprehensive catalog of measures.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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As fruit growers, we not only work in nature, but also with nature<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/div>\n

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Philip Wi\u00dfkirchen<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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About:<\/h2>

\n Philip Wi\u00dfkirchen <\/p>\n\n \n

\n is a third-generation master fruit grower in the family business in Meckenheim-Ersdorf. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Promoting biodiversity has long been a real concern of ours. After all, as fruit growers, we not only work in nature, but also with nature. It is therefore important to us to produce in harmony with it by not only protecting beneficial insects, but also specifically promoting them. Because they can help us to reduce the pest pressure from mice or aphids, for example. How do we do this in practice? We build perches and nesting aids for birds of prey, create retreats for weasels under piles of dead wood or for martens under piles of stones. We have also created a flowering meadow of around 1,000 square meters. Having enough pollinators is becoming increasingly important, especially in times of extreme weather. If, for example, frost during the flowering period means that only five percent of the flowers survive, the harvest does not have to be lost – provided they are all pollinated.<\/p>\n

Once a year, representatives from NABU visit us and together we consider what other measures we could take. This year, for example, we want to build a box for barn owls. If NABU has good ideas, we are happy to implement them. The preservation of biodiversity and species diversity is very important to us.<\/q><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Every head farmer and every fruit grower can get individual advice from us<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/div>\n

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Katja R\u00f6ser<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Katja R\u00f6ser<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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About:<\/h2>

\n Katja R\u00f6ser <\/p>\n\n \n

\n is an agricultural biologist working in fruit-growing consultancy and quality assurance for the Lake Constance fruit cooperatives. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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When it comes to questions of biodiversity and sustainability in our fruit cooperatives, the threads come together in our fruit-growing advisory service. We collect the experiences of fruit growers and pool scientific findings. On this basis, we develop proposals on how the farms can promote biodiversity on their land and operate more sustainably – always taking into account the natural conditions of the region, the weather and the particularities of the season. In this way, everyone can benefit from the experience of others. Every year, around 150 of our fruit farms take new measures and ask us for advice. We also regularly support 30 to 40 farms in the implementation of long-term biodiversity and sustainability measures, far beyond the duration of projects or programs.<\/p>\n

Our advice is varied. Sometimes we are on site and look at what can be practically optimized during implementation. For example, whether nesting aids can be better positioned or flowering meadows and biodiversity areas can be better managed. Many of our fruit growers’ questions can also be answered over the phone or by email. We also regularly send out newsletters with up-to-date tips, for example on maintaining flowering areas, and offers for bulk orders, for example of seeds for plant mixtures, hedge planting or high-quality nesting aids.<\/p>\n

The <\/q>region seeds” for our biodiversity and flowering areas “from the region – for the region” are at the heart of our sustainable promotion of wild insects, birds and other wildlife species. These are mixtures with names such as “Bl\u00fchende Landschaft” (flowering landscape) or “Lebendiger Ackerrand” (living field edge), specially adapted to our Lake Constance region. Since last year, there has been a “honey plant mixture” – which goes well with the native insects that we promote in this way.<\/p>\n

There is no strict catalog of measures prescribed by nature conservation organizations that each individual farm has to work through. Everyone can seek individual advice and then implement measures on the topics that are currently on the agenda. Voluntarily. I think that’s a big part of our success. On average over the years, around 4,000 square meters of new biodiversity areas are created on the premises of the farms we support per fruit-growing operation on Lake Constance. The success of this for the insect population is proven by the regular monitoring carried out by various independent scientists.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n Julia Dopjans <\/p>\n\n

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