The drink made from young green wheat was crucial for the establishment of Green&More fifteen years ago. Over time, it became known as the Liquid Sun preparation, and the company from Zagreb has become part of the growing organic food market sought by conscious consumers committed to healthy living. Ivana Stavljenić, co-owner of the Zagreb company, says she combined her views on ecology and renewable living with business, first as a producer of organic dietary supplements and later specialized food. She explained that all products are obtained by processing raw food at temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius to preserve the nutritional value of the raw materials, closest to their natural state.
In addition to the Liquid Sun preparations made from young green wheat in powder and capsule form, which is grown in mountainous Croatia, Green&More offers a line of creamy honey with wheat, strawberry, blueberry, and ginger – lemon, raw activated cookies, and snack-bars of pistachio – lemon, cocoa – orange, and wild blueberry. Besides the Croatian market, they are also present in Macedonia, Japan, Germany, Bulgaria, and Norway.
Tradition and new technology
The business was launched exclusively with its own funds raised from another business – an advertising and design agency that preceded production and still operates. Only later did Stavljenić decide to apply for non-repayable funds from European funds for product and production process certification and for scientific research work to prove the functional values of the products. They possess certificates for organic, vegan, gluten-free, and halal, production processes have ISO 9001:2015 and FSSC 22000 standards, and since they have their own production, they quickly adapt to market changes.
– Even at the first tasting of the drink made from young green wheat, which we had not encountered before but from a crop we know thrives excellently in our region, we recognized the potential that turned into the intention to turn that idea into a business. We had fields around Slunj and Plitvice (now two hectares of land) where we decided to sow that crop. And 14 years later, Liquid Sun is one of the more sought-after domestic functional preparations, which we create from seeds from the ground through careful processing to the final functional product, and with snack bars Green&More, we have conquered numerous markets. From the beginning, we have been networking traditional knowledge with modern technology and always exploring innovations from the leaders in functional food production, where we are even ahead of some. Among the few in the world, we activate nuts, making them more bioavailable to unlock their full potential, naturally contained minerals, and nutritional value. We have also shaped the story of activation into the design of brand ambassadors in the form of little animals that invite consumers to activate, commit to healthy eating, healthy living, and a relationship with the Earth – says Stavljenić.
Leaders in eco-food
Green&More strategically positioned itself first in the domestic market, specifically in pharmacies and herbal pharmacies because the first line of products was dietary supplements, then in the chain of organic product stores bio&bio. After that, there was a parallel expansion into other niche stores in Croatia, online stores, and foreign markets. Some markets were opened by exhibiting at organic food fairs, while others through collaboration with consultants or intermediaries. The beginning was difficult as it was about the earlier phases of organic production, so Green&More, as a kind of visionary, broke through barriers and created awareness of the value and strength of organic (functional) food compared to conventional.
– This was a kind of brake on the planned rapid development, but healthy foundations in business created brand recognition. We managed to overcome everything with other businesses and activities from which we financed production. For us, it was also important to exhibit at the largest organic food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics fair in London, after which we received recognition from other competing exhibitors for taste and design, as well as from the editorial team of the ‘BBC Food TV show’, which conveyed enthusiasm for the products in that show. That beginning laid the foundation for further exposure in foreign markets, and thanks to our presence in the Swedish market, we achieved exports to the demanding Japanese market. For some companies, we work as external collaborators on the development of their recipes, and we also collaborate with our representatives and distributors in foreign markets. In addition, we have contractual cooperation with several beekeepers who create top-quality honey for us, a multiple gold medal winner at beekeeping competitions. We retain and reinvest all profits. In the development of the company, we rely on people and our knowledge, which is an additional advantage as we handle product development, packaging design, marketing, and distribution ourselves, given that we are a diverse team with broad knowledge and competencies – said Stavljenić.
