Responsibility out of Tradition

Responsibility

Entrepreneurial responsibility has a long-standing tradition at Peter Kölln GmbH & Co. KGaA. Since its foundation in 1820, ensuring the company’s long-term livelihood and passing on the business to the next generation is our first priority. This corporate policy has always been our understanding of economic success, responsibility to employees, business partners and society as well as careful handling of resources and is understood as one unit. This deep-rooted corporate structure establishes a good positioning of the company’s ability to cope with the future.

Sustainability in terms of entrepreneurial responsibility is firmly anchored in our mission statement and integrated into our in-house project management system. Thus, we want to further systematize and drive our activities.

Environment

Environmental protection is of high importance to our company as well.
We consider it our continuing mission to further increase our activities to the saving of resources which we pursue with great dedication. So we are constantly working on minimising impacts that our business activities may have on the environment. For example, at the Elmshorn location, we have been sourcing 100 percent of the electricity from renewable energies since 2014.

Raw materials and relations

Our products are characterised by good raw materials. Our demand for highest possible product quality is documented by procurement and use of selected raw materials and the strict monitoring of our qualified suppliers.
We have taken a clear stance on ecologically sensitive raw materials:

Kölln has supported the work of the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) since 2011 through its membership. In 2013, we switched to more sustainable RSPO certified palm oil and developed the level continuously. Today all our products contain 100% "Segregated" palm oil. This RSPO certified sustainable palm oil from different certified sources is produced according to strict ecological and social criteria and kept separate from ordinary palm oil throughout the whole supply chain.
Since the end of 2012, we source cocoa from UTZ Certified farms (standard: Mass Balance) for all of our Kölln mueslis and Kölln cereals containing chocolate.
UTZ is now part of the Rainforest Alliance. The two organizations joined forces in 2018 to create a better future for people and nature.
That’s why you will see the new Rainforest Alliance certification seal on our products. Just like the UTZ label, the Rainforest Alliance seal stands for farmers and companies working towards a world where people and nature thrive in harmony. It represents the next step in sustainability and is a signal that Kölln is committed to never stop getting better at what we do. We want to be transparent about our progress and share the responsibility with farmers and others in the supply chain to reach this mission.
Did you know the Rainforest Alliance seal features a frog for an important reason? As one of nature's super indicator species, the presence of the frog is a positive sign that a natural ecosystem is balanced and thriving. When we no longer see the frog, we know that the environment is compromised and other species within that ecosystem will soon suffer if we don’t do something urgently.
That’s why we ask you to follow the frog. By buying Kölln products with the frog seal you help contribute to better farming practices, fight against the climate crisis, conserve our forests, protect the human rights of farmers and workers, and improve their livelihoods.
Learn more about our work together on the Rainforest Alliance website at www.rainforest-alliance.org.