Alejandro Monzón, president of Anecoop, Mari Carmen Morales, director of quality and sustainability of Anecoop, and Rosa Valenzuela, project manager of Kiwa R&D, presented a pioneering project in the sector: the Aneecoop Sustainability Observatory. The Observatory, which was established under the motto 'Measure, evaluate, act', aims to create a reference framework to correctly and accurately measure the impact and improvements that Anecoop and its partners have on the sustainability of the agri-food system, and quantify the social, economic, and environmental impact of their actions.
The Sustainability Observatory will make the entire production process (i.e. the cultivation, processing, and marketing of fruit and vegetables) more sustainable in various areas of Spain where Anecoop has production centers (Alicante, Almería, Cádiz, Castellón, Ciudad Real, Huelva, Lleida, Murcia, Navarra, Segovia, Seville, Valencia, and Valladolid).
The fact that Anecoop is a benchmark in the sector adds value to the proposal. "We want to be more than a producer and marketer of fruit and vegetables. We want to be pioneers in implementing tools to identify, quantify, and measure sustainability criteria, and to create a culture of sustainability at all levels. We at Anecoop think it's important to work with social and economic indicators to strengthen the socio-economic network of rural areas, improve their competitiveness and economic growth, and have a positive impact on the environment," Monzón stated.
The initiative is based on three basic pillars: a medium and long-term strategy with concrete actions, research and development of specialized tools for partners, and the training of associated companies.
“The project proposes the creation of a platform as a solution for the collection, analysis, and visualization of data, thus facilitating the monitoring of key sustainability indicators. It also includes a campus that will provide training to train and accredit the technical team. In addition, reference publications and traceability reports will be made available to member companies," stated Mari Carmen Morales, Director of Quality and Sustainability.
According to Rosa Valenzuela, Kiwa R&D project manager, “Innovation will be a constant of the Anecoop Sustainability Observatory. Not only in terms of the sector's sustainability and ability to adapt to climate change, but also in terms of its potential to mitigate climate change through sustainable, smart, and competitive agriculture. Other sustainability parameters will also be studied, such as its contribution to the reduction of food waste, its role in the decarbonization of the economy and consumption, or the implementation of circular economy principles."
For more information:
Aneccop
https://anecoop.com