“We Don’t Want to Be the Cheapest – We Want to Be the Best.”
Interview with Boudewijn van der Kroft, Managing Director of TerraSana
Organic food has long since evolved beyond a niche market. But lasting success requires far more than a green label. Boudewijn van der Kroft explains why uncompromising quality, a clear long-term vision and genuine sustainability have shaped TerraSana from the very beginning—and why improving a little every day matters more than claiming perfection.
European Business: Mr. van der Kroft, TerraSana has become one of Europe’s established organic brands. How did the company begin?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: TerraSana was founded in 1989 by Kees Barnhard, one of the pioneers of organic food in the Netherlands. The company started with muesli, nuts and dried fruits. In the early 1990s, Kees established a partnership with a Japanese family, which marked a turning point for the business. That collaboration laid the foundation for what is still one of our strongest product categories today: authentic Japanese cuisine. Three members of the founder’s family are now actively involved in the company, and we intend to remain an independent family business for the long term.
European Business: How has TerraSana evolved over the years?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: One of the most important strategic decisions was to focus entirely on our own brand. We used to distribute products for other companies, but today everything revolves around TerraSana. At the same time, we have expanded our production facilities, particularly for nut butters, superfoods and sojasauces. Two years ago, we also acquired the organic confectionery manufacturer CandyTree. We continue to grow steadily, but always in a way that fits our values and identity.
European Business: What defines TerraSana today?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: Our name means “healthy earth,” and that perfectly reflects who we are. Every product is organic, almost entirely plant-based and developed according to one simple principle: we never add anything that doesn’t belong there. We believe ingredient lists should be as short as possible. Whenever we develop a new product, we conduct blind taste tests against competing products. We only launch it if we genuinely believe ours tastes better. Quality always comes before speed.
European Business: Which products and markets are currently driving your business?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: Around 75% of our turnover comes from international markets. Germany, Belgium, France, Spain and Poland are particularly important for us but also East and Northern Europe. Today we offer more than 450 products. Our largest category is international cuisine, especially Japanese food, but we have also expanded into Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Indian, Korean and Italian specialties. In addition, we produce nut butters, confectionery and many other organic products. Our customers are organic wholesalers, specialist retail chains and selected online retailers throughout Europe.
European Business: Digitalisation and sustainability are transforming virtually every industry. How do these topics influence TerraSana?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: Digitalisation allows us to operate much more efficiently. Orders increasingly arrive electronically, our production is supported by integrated ERP systems and many processes are highly automated. Sustainability, however, has been part of our DNA since day one. We are B Corp certified, have invested in solar energy and can run our nut butter production entirely on electricity generated by our own solar panels. Of course, we source ingredients from all over the world, so we never claim to be perfect. What we do say is that we strive to become a little better every single day and offer products with ingredients which are better than currently on the market.
European Business: What makes TerraSana different from its competitors?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: If you are looking for the highest quality, you should talk to us. We have never aimed to be the cheapest supplier. Our ambition is to offer the best products—with outstanding taste and the cleanest possible ingredient lists. That philosophy runs through everything we do. We often say, “Tasting is believing,” because once people try our products, they immediately understand the difference.
European Business: How would you describe your corporate culture?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: Three values define us: being positive, being open and being responsible. Transparency is essential, which is why we openly communicate where our ingredients come from. At the same time, we encourage people to contribute their individual strengths. Nobody has to excel at everything. Strong teams are built by combining different talents and learning from one another.
European Business: What are your priorities for the coming years?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: We will continue expanding our international cuisine portfolio, possibly adding new countries to our assortment. We also see enormous potential in innovative nut butters with distinctive flavours, like the almond chai we introduced last year and salted sweet vanilla date we are introducing right now. Beyond that, we want to deepen our presence in our existing markets while gradually expanding into new regions outside Europe. There is still tremendous room for growth for our branded and private label business, and that is what makes the future so exciting.
European Business: Finally, what motivates you personally every day?
Boudewijn van der Kroft: What inspires me most is seeing a relatively small team create products we can truly be proud of. Before joining TerraSana, I had hardly ever visited an organic food store. Today, I pay much closer attention to what we eat and how food is produced and shop as much organic as possible. If our work helps leave the world in a slightly better condition than we found it, then I know we are moving in the right direction.