Responsibly Sourced Walnuts from Ukraine
Our Ukrainian walnut kernels meet the requirements of the strictest supplier codes of conduct on the European market. We do not just sign them: we apply them, from the tree to the truck.
Today, a dried-fruit buyer no longer chooses only a price, a size or a colour. They choose a supplier who carries part of their own reputation. Importers, packers, industrial bakers and confectioners ask their suppliers to prove that they respect the law, people and the environment. They want to be able to check it at any time.
These requirements are now set out in supplier codes of conduct. Those of major European retailers and importers rest on the same reference texts: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ten principles of the UN Global Compact, the Sustainable Development Goals and the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). They set one simple rule: where the code is stricter than local law, the code applies.
This is the standard we have chosen as our benchmark. Here is, point by point, how we put it into practice.
Business ethics: a clean commercial relationship
An offer of walnut kernels should win on quality and price, never on a hidden advantage. We have zero tolerance for corruption in any form: bribery, extortion, embezzlement, money laundering. This rule applies to private companies and public officials alike, in Ukraine, in Poland and in every country we deliver to.
In practice:
We offer no money, gifts or invitations that could influence a buyer's decision. Only low-value promotional items, carrying our brand and given rarely, are allowed.
We accept no payment or benefit in return for leniency on a delivery.
Our staff report any conflict between their personal interests, or those of their relatives, and those of the company.
We comply with competition law and international trade rules: origin documents, certificates and customs declarations match reality.
We protect the information and data our customers entrust to us: prices, specifications, volumes.
Our trading company in Poland, Walbro Sp. z o.o., is certified IFS Broker. This GFSI-recognised standard requires us to trace every lot, assess every supplier and document every decision. Transparency is therefore not a promise: it is part of our audits.
The people behind every kernel
A fine Extra Light kernel does not come out of a machine: it passes through skilled hands at cracking, sorting and inspection. We treat these people with the respect they deserve, in line with the ILO core conventions.
No forced labour (Convention No. 29). All work is freely chosen. Everyone may leave their job under the conditions set by law.
No child labour (Convention No. 182). We employ no one below the legal working age. This rule also covers the harvest and the small growers who supply us.
Fair wages, paid in full. No one is paid below the legal minimum wage. Overtime and paid leave are paid. No deduction from wages is ever used as a penalty.
Controlled working hours (Conventions No. 1 and 30). At most 48 hours a week, at most 12 hours of overtime, and at least one day off after six working days, even at the peak of the season.
No discrimination (Conventions No. 111, 183 and 97). We hire and promote on skills. Equal pay for equal work. Pregnant women are protected, and migrant workers have the same rights as everyone else.
Freedom of association (Conventions No. 87, 98 and 135). Everyone may join a trade union or voice their requests without fear of reprisal.
Dignity. Harassment, threats and any form of coercion are prohibited.
Health and safety. We apply procedures, emergency measures and a management system to prevent accidents and occupational illness on our cracking and sorting lines.
Well-treated teams work with care. For you, it shows in the quality of the sorting, the consistency of the lots and on-time delivery.
Food safety, quality and traceability
A code of conduct protects people. A food safety system protects your customers. We have both.
An ISO 22000 certified factory. Our processing unit in Ukraine runs a food safety management system based on HACCP.
An IFS Broker certified trading company. Walbro approves and monitors its suppliers, verifies their HACCP plans and samples on a risk basis. It ensures full traceability and assesses vulnerability to food fraud.
Laboratory tests with every delivery: organic screening, aflatoxins, microbiology, radioactivity, pesticides, heavy metals, MOSH-MOAH, and any other test requested. For oil mills, we closely monitor free fatty acids and peroxide value.
Careful handling, so the kernel skin is not scuffed and the colour is preserved.
Organic certification being finalised with Organic Standard, to complement our conventional range.
From Extra Light 90% to walnut flour, including oil-mill grades, every lot is identified. We can trace back from the carton to the collection area and the cracking date.
Respecting the land that grows our walnuts
Our walnuts grow in central Ukraine, on trees that stand for decades. Protecting this environment means protecting our raw material.
Compliance first. We hold the operating and environmental permits our activity requires, and we provide them on request.
Less energy and water. Drying and cracking use the most. We monitor this consumption and set targets to reduce it.
Waste turned into value. Shells are a fuel and a raw material, not waste. We also cut unnecessary packaging.
Few chemicals. Their use is limited and controlled, as organic production requires.
The whole chain. We encourage our collectors, carriers and subcontractors to reduce their impact, and we choose partners who share these standards.
Sourcing close to home, delivered by truck from Ukraine and Poland, also avoids the long sea voyages of walnuts from other continents.
Come and check
A commitment is only worth something if it can be verified. That is why we accept in advance the rules European buyers set for their suppliers:
On-site audits. You, or the body you appoint, may visit our sites and meet our teams.
Documents on request: certificates, permits, test results, specifications, traceability records.
Corrective actions. If a gap is found, we fix it within the agreed time and prove it at a follow-up visit.
The same rules for our subcontractors. We only work with partners who respect these principles.
We have achieved scores of 17/20 and 18/20 from major players in the walnut industry. Many European leaders are already our customers: packers, bakeries, confectioners and processors.
Let's work together
Looking for a walnut kernel supplier who delivers quality and spares you unpleasant surprises? Ask us for an offer, a sample or our compliance file: it answers your supplier code of conduct point by point. Partial quantities are possible.
Contact: office@xtranut.com — www.xtranut.com
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