Rapunzel Naturkost farming initiatives

Das Rapunzel HAND IN HAND Fairhandels-Programm

HAND IN HAND - organic. fair. Rapunzel.

The HAND IN HAND program is Rapunzel's proprietary fair trade program. The program was started in the early 1990s and was the first fair trade program with 100% organically manufactured products.

HAND IN HAND efficiently connects ecological, economic and social sustainability. Today, more than 150 Rapunzel products are marked with the HAND IN HAND label that guarantees benefits to producers and consumers alike due to our high standards.

The HAND IN HAND fund was initiated in 1998. The fund is administered by Rapunzel and the German Environmental Aid (DUH). Until today, the fund paid out almost 1.9 million Euro to support 423 projects in 60 different countries (as of April 2021).

The Rapunzel Naturkost Turkey project

Turkey project

Products from the Turkey project

The Turkey project is the oldest and most comprehensive Rapunzel project. The foundation for an organic farming project in Turkey was laid in 1985. At first, only figs and sultanas were exported to Germany but with time more and more farmers became interested in the cooperation with Rapunzel and the exported amounts and the number of different organic products grew.

In 1991 Rapunzel opened a consultancy in the city of Izmir that turned into a subsidiary company, Rapunzel Organic Ltd., in 1997.

HAND IN HAND program (HIH)

The HAND IN HAND program (HIH) started in 1992. This program combines the ideas of controlled organic farming and fair trade. Direct and long-term supplier relations guarantee new opportunities for the HIH partners and best organic quality for the consumer.

All Rapunzel products that are made with more than 50 % fair trade raw materials sourced from HIH partners are marked with Rapunzel’s proprietary HIH label. Today, more than 150 products have the HIH label.

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Rapunzel Turkey project

The Turkey Project is Rapunzel’s largest and oldest farming project. The first contacts with Turkish farmers date back to the mid-1970s. After years of extensive pioneer work, the first organic products, figs and sultanas, could be purchased from Turkish farmers.

Today, about 450 farmers from 14 provinces from across Turkey are part of the Rapunzel Turkey Project. On a total area of 2,500 hectare they grow organic apricots, hazelnuts, sultanas, almonds, figs, olives and much more – altogether 37 different agricultural products.

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HAND IN HAND fund

The HAND IN HAND fund (HIH fund) was founded in 1998 as a joint project of Rapunzel Naturkost and the German Environmental Aid (DUH). The fund supports eco-social initiatives and projects around the world. Since its foundation a total of almost 1,9 mio Euro from the HIH fund financed 423 projects in 60 countries (as of April 2021).

Most of the fund money comes from guaranteed donations by Rapunzel Naturkost. Every year 1 % of the purchase value of all HAND IN HAND raw materials is contributed to the fund; in 2020 this sum amounted to 170,000 Euro. Individual contributions and charitable donations complement the fund input.

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