Boxtel, 16 July 2025. Vion has, for the first time, included its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) statement in its Annual Report 2024. This marks a shift from separate reporting toward aligning Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance more closely with financial results and integrating sustainability into core business decisions.
This development reflects Vion’s preparation for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which will apply to the company from the 2027 reporting year. With this report, Vion reaffirms its role as a forward-thinking, values-driven leader in the industry.
“I am proud that we are the first meat company to be this far on the road to CSRD”, says Dr Veronika Weber, Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) at Vion Food Group. “We believe that sustainability is not a checkbox – it’s a mindset. That is why we are recognised by our partners for how we do business — fairly, transparently and as a frontrunner in animal welfare in our sector. That recognition matters. It shows that our efforts contribute to something bigger: building more sustainable and responsible food systems in Europe”.
Key achievements in 2024 – ESG progress at a glance
Vion’s 2024 integrated CSR statement outlines performance across critical ESG areas. Highlights include:
Environmental Impact and Climate Goals (E1)
Vion remains committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 42% by 2030, in line with its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitment.
In 2024, Vion expanded its use of green electricity in Germany and the Netherlands and upgraded processing sites with heat pumps and energy-efficient cooling systems, reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions. For Scope 3, the company partnered with farmers and feed suppliers to reduce CO₂ footprints, using improved data models and a blockchain-based tool for farm-level tracking. A pilot on feed and manure achieved an average 15% reduction in carbon footprint, with further pilots planned for 2025.
Biodiversity and Circular Economy (E4 & E5)
In 2024, Vion launched a successful pilot to phase out feed linked to land-use change and took steps to combat deforestation. The company also advanced circular farming by valorising animal by-products and partnering with Wageningen University to turn manure into fertilizer. Further pilots on biodiversity indicators and circularity are planned for 2025.
Workforce Health and Safety (S1)
Improved management attention, enhanced training by HSE teams, and the rollout of state-of-the-art protective gear led to a higher internal Health & Safety Audit score and over 35 % reduction in lost time injuries frequency (LTIF) in 2024.
Food safety and product integrity (S4)
All production sites remained certified under IFS or BRC standards, with no public recalls. To maintain its leading position, Vion joined research projects exploring hyperspectral imaging to detect microbial risks. In 2024, 92.3% of externally sold volumes originated from sites with IFS Product Integrity Assessment (PIA) certification.
Animal welfare and responsible sourcing (G1)
Animal welfare continues to be a top priority. In 2024, 19% of processed animals came from certified higher-welfare farming systems – an increase of 2.9 percentage points. Vion maintains animal welfare standards above legal requirements and continues to pioneer new approaches:
Vion trained employees using virtual pig and cow goggles to improve animal handling, invested in digital tools like sensor and vision systems to monitor on-farm welfare indicators, and continued developing alternatives to CO₂ stunning. The company also remains an active partner in EU animal welfare projects and strengthened its long-term chain programmes and fair pricing models to support sustainable farming and income stability.
Staying Ahead
By integrating its CSR statement into the Annual Report, Vion continues to prepare for CSRD-aligned reporting, with the ambition to obtain limited assurance on its sustainability statement from 2025 onwards. We strongly believe the transparency that the CSRD will bring over time will propel innovation and accelerate positive impact on ESG-related topics within our sector.
In 2025, the focus is on deepening carbon reduction efforts, scaling up circular practices, expanding digital tools for animal welfare monitoring, and working closely with farmers, customers and partners across Europe.
Our Annual Report 2024, including the integrated CSR statement, can be viewed here. The CSR statement is also available separately on this page.
Vion
Vion Food Group is an international food company with production locations in the Netherlands and Germany, as well as sales support offices all over the world. In 2024, Vion had a total turnover of EUR 4.6 billion with 8,383 employees.
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Group Communication Vion
Tel.: +31 88 995 3555
Email: groupcommunication@vionfood.com