at Kwizda Agro
The greatest challenge of our time cannot be overlooked: nearly every day, we all feel the consequences of the climate crisis. Above all in the agricultural sector, severe storms, extreme weather events and failed harvests are making operations increasingly difficult. As a family-run company, Kwizda Agro takes its environmental responsibility very seriously. It continuously strives to develop products that combine the criteria of modern, sustainable and competitive pest control and agriculture. And we are not the only ones who understand the principles of the European Union’s Green Deal as the backbone of our work and entire way of thinking. Our customers and partners also call for this new approach.
This means we are constantly looking for new ways to create a balance that will result in sustainable productivity and an intact habitat. Instead of waiting for political guidelines, we are boldly forging ahead by developing innovative, reliable and future-oriented solutions and by actively shaping our own role, always with the goal of leaving a world worth living in for future generations.
Our philosophy is based on six key points that reflect our responsibility towards the environment, society and our employees.
These topics are central to our mission of shaping a sustainable future.
Ecosystem & biodiversity
Through biologization and digitalization
The agricultural sector plays a decisive role in conserving and fostering biodiversity. We place a high value on the biologization of our products and processes in order to protect natural resources and preserve biodiversity.
Digitalization helps us reach these goals even more efficiently by smartly optimizing the use of resources and minimizing environmental damage.
Waste reduction & recycling
Through less input, optimized material use and the transition to a circular economy
The reduction of waste and efficient use of materials are central aspects of our corporate strategy. In the interest of promoting a circular economy, we are designing our production processes to use fewer resources and produce less waste, while making it possible to reuse and recycle materials. This lowers our environmental impact.
We have reduced our water consumption by more than 30% per produced kilogram and our waste volume by more than 20% since 2017.
Transparency and visibility
Through governance structures, certifications and voluntary standards
Transparency in all our business processes is a priority for us. We create trust among our customers and partners through clear governance structures, the voluntary implementation of high standards and validation through international certifications.
With this openness, we want to make our sustainability steps transparent and improve the process continuously.
Our commitment to sustainability and environmental protection is firmly anchored in all of our company’s activities.
Since we were founded in 1926, we have dedicated ourselves to harnessing the power of nature. Thanks to our innovative strength, we can develop complex formulations that provide both simple and effective solutions. This principle applies across the board, regardless of whether it involves conventional or organic plant protection products, biocides or customer-specific productions. Our formulation expertise directly shapes the development of our proprietary products, which we create on the basis of microorganisms, natural extracts and mineral elements.
- One example is our TRICO® wildlife deterrent, for which we deliberately chose a natural active substance.
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Alternatives to chemical-synthetic plant protection for disease control are still limited, but Kwizda Agro is working diligently to close this gap. This has resulted in our product UPSIDE®, for example, which is based on yeast cell fragments.
- With PYR 0.5 CS, we have opted for a plant-based active substance with micro-capsule technology that guarantees a long-lasting effect of up to one month. This product sets new standards in the market for household insecticides.
Our product packaging is another area that we continuously strive to optimize. For our biocides, for example, we will increase the proportion of reused and recycled packages, decrease the use of plastic and implement steps towards a general reduction.
Our distribution activities are being expanded to include biological plant protection products and biostimulants, so we can offer sustainable solutions for integrated plant protection and thus continue to improve plant health and environmental protection.
Generations of sustainability and responsibility
As a family business, we greatly value our ability to make sustainable decisions that go far beyond legal requirements. Every generation and every one of us is responsible for the impact of our actions. At Kwizda Agro, we take this commitment very seriously.
Certified quality and environmental standards
Our dedication is reflected in comprehensive ISO certifications in the areas of quality, health & safety and the environment. We are also validated according to the EMAS environmental management system, which underlines our ongoing pursuit of environmental excellence.
Voluntary sustainability ratings and top performance
We regularly participate in voluntary sustainability ratings. According to one of these, EcoVadis, we are among the top 24% of companies in our industry, highlighting our strong sustainability achievements. Its most recent review in 2024 confirmed our leading position, particularly in the environmental area.
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CO2 reduction
While we aim to use the cleanest possible electricity at all our company sites, our primary focus is on our home base in Austria, where nearly 100% of our production takes place. Consequently, this site has benefited the most from our switch to renewable electricity combined with modern energy monitoring.
This is made possible thanks to both purchased electricity and a photovoltaic system installed in 2023. 2,000 solar panels on a 7,500 m2 surface provide 770 MWh of solar energy annually, conserving 192 t CO2 per year.
In addition, transport at the Kwizda Agro plant has been 100% electric since 2024 – both through e-forklifts and e-trucks for internal transport. We also promote the e-mobility of our staff members: since 2023, eight AC charging stations and four bike charging poles have been available at the Leobendorf plant.
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Working with the community
Vienna’s “Daughters’ Day”:
Kwizda Agro offers young female students from Vienna and Lower Austria a closer look at the world of plant protection to during Vienna’s “Daughters’ Day.” The girls visit the headquarters in Vienna and the Leobendorf plant to learn more about challenges in agriculture, plant protection solutions and the development and production of biological plant protection products. The event aims to get young women excited about careers in STEM sectors, where they are still underrepresented.
Tree planting campaign:
Children and families of our staff members participated in a tree planting campaign in the region of Cernica, Romania. It was great to see generations come together with the shared goal of making a positive contribution to our world. We planted over 400 trees together, creating a living legacy that will continue to benefit our Earth for many years.
BOKU Job Day:
Our Technology & Product Development unit regularly organizes the BOKU Day. We invited a small group of Masters’ candidates in phytomedicine for a presentation of our core areas.
The first stop was our microbiology laboratory in Tulln, followed by a test laboratory in Korneuburg, where our biologics development specialists explained the procedure of a GEP trial and the challenges involved in product registration. The students were able to observe the first signs of oidium infestation and learned how to carry out trial assessments.
Kwizda Agro supports the fire department:
Local associations such as the voluntary fire department often form the glue that holds communities together. At the same time, the volunteers play an important role in public safety, frequently under difficult circumstances and with significant effort. Kwizda Agro is aware of the importance of such contributions, which is why it also lends a hand. We support the voluntary fire departments by providing protective gear and even helping to purchase a fire truck.
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Sustainable products:
In 2023, Kwizda Agro launched a new initiative in Hungary to actively promote sustainable agriculture: the Nova Agriculture award.
Each year, this initiative will focus on a new theme, the choice was “Soil Health” in 2023.
Undese
To win the Hungary Nova Agriculture award, students and researchers can submit projects in three categories: Innovation, education and joint action.
A distinguished jury of high-ranking experts evaluates the submissions.
With this initiative, Kwizda Agro aims to promote innovative approaches and raise awareness of sustainable agriculture.
We represent quality and standards
As a family company, we think in terms of generations. With this in mind, quality, the environment and safety are three fundamental principles by which we stand in our economic activity and that shape our long-term development. This is why Kwizda Agro has been managed using an ISO-certified, integrated management system since 2015.
Bardewyk
