"We want to go into the future sustainably," says Peter van der Klift of Milestone Fresh. Big words for a freight forwarder? "Not if we live up them. We are at the forefront of a new project in Guatemala in which the goal is to deliver 10% more clean air than we currently emit thanks to bamboo cultivation."
"At the moment we are busy calculating our footprint based on the CO2 emissions. Once this has been calculated, we want to start a project in Guatemala with our partners to grow bamboo in order to give clean air to the world," says Peter. "We hope that more companies will join this project."
"We came into contact with the Bamboo Village Uganda company. Because of our activities in Guatemala, where we have had an office since 2017, we have opted for a local initiative, whereby this organistion will start up together with our Milestone Bamboo Village Guatemala, among other things," says Peter. "We are not going to grow ourselves, because that is not where our expertise lies, but we will join this farm and invest in the required number of hectares on the basis of the calculated emissions."
"We have been active in Central America for several years and there has been increased demand from Guatemala for the transport of vegetables, fruit and flower plants over the last year. The main products we currently transport from Guatemala are sugar snaps, melons, flower plants and cut greens. Our independence is therefore a top priority, which is why we do not have cultivation ambitions ourselves, " says Peter.
Milestone Fresh is keen to start the initiative as soon as possible. "The project has to start this year. Our partner is already busy with the planting. It will really take a few years before the project yields returns, but you have to start somewhere. We want to be at the forefront of sustainability in the market and feel we are responsible for what is happening in the world, and we believe in the motto "what goes around comes around," says the shipping agent.
"The cultivation of bamboo is very suitable for this project. It does not require too much maintenance and you also do not need too much soil for maximum yield. The application possibilities of bamboo are enormous. Think, for example, of clothing and give-aways. The World Wildlife Fund is, among other things, a customer, "says Peter. "With the bamboo we hope to build houses for the poor local families."
"Talking about sustainability is already happening far too much. With this concrete project, we want to demonstrably do our bit. Climate positive should not be an empty term and that is why we are actually going to demonstrate that we are achieving this and that we will also follow it closely. Our presence in Guatemala means we are close to the project and may also be able to visit the project together with customers. "
For more information:
Peter van der Klift
Milestone Fresh 
Tel: +31 (0) 88 622 0470
Mob: +31 (0) 6 1285 3096
p.vanderklift@milestonefresh.nl
www.milestonelogistics.nl