In 2021, Keller Kitchens and parent DKG joined forces with farmers’ organisation ZLTO and two carbon farmers near the Group’s Bergen op Zoom factory with the aim of capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, which is then processed naturally and stored in farmland soil. Simply put, the crops convert the CO2 into carbon chains via photosynthesis, while the organic matter that is built up promotes soil fertility, increasing crop growth.

Four years on, Keller/DKG are delighted to report that the initiative is working extremely well, and the CO2 is binding into the soil better than expected. In addition, biodiversity is increasing, and agriculture is proving to be resilient to climate extremes. Recent tests have highlighted a significant increase in soil organic matter, which has resulted in additional CO2 being removed from the air and stored in the soil. More specifically, DKG has sequestered 30 tonnes of CO2 in the soil. Based on these good results, DKG, the farmers and ZLTO have extended the target to 100 tonnes of land-stored carbon.

The feedback from both farmers was positive and included better drainage, mineral retention, crop growth, and organic matter, with less irrigation, nitrogen runoff, tilling, mowing, disease, need for manure and pest control. In addition, a greater resilience to weather extremes was evident, while biodiversity and soil life improved greatly.

Keller’s UK’s National Sales Manager, Tim Spann, explains more, “The results are very, very encouraging, giving us the confidence we are on the right track to maintain our industry-leading position for manufacturing kitchens by the most sustainable means possible. I am extremely proud to be part of an organisation that has such a strong ethos and is happy to make the investments required to set industry standards. To give an example – organising CO2 reduction locally offers more immediate and accountable methods than financing the planting of trees on the other side of the world alone, giving immediate and visible results locally for the environment.”

For further information, please visit www.kellerkitchens.com