Ethical Trade Forums organized a conference on March 16th dedicated to the issue of water management in the Doñana area, an event in which the Huelva Provincial Council collaborated, hosting the event at the Agricultural Innovation Centre, from where it was also broadcast via streaming.
Ethical Trade Forums is a collaborative initiative established in 2015 to promote sustainability and better working conditions within the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector. Among its main tasks is to serve as a space of trust in which to address the issues of most interest to the sector, always from a perspective that prioritizes dialogue and the search for solutions.
According to its director, Sergio Barberá, “the success of the day is that we have managed, through a beneficial and open dialogue, to deepen the different perspectives that encompass the reality, to seek joint solutions and points in common”.
To this end, different stakeholders participated, including political representatives, representatives of irrigation communities, environmental organizations, social agents, growers and the media, among others, who took part in two panels moderated by the director of Ethical Trade Forums.
The conference was opened by Juan Antonio García, vice-president of the Huelva Provincial Council, followed by the first panel focused on analyzing good practices in the agri-food sector in Huelva, with the following speakers:
- Fernando Delgado – General Manager of Planning and Water Resources of the Junta de Andalucía.
- Juan Antonio Millán – President of the Huelva Irrigation Communities Association (COREHU)
- Juan Manuel Bernal – Manager of the Association of Citrus Growers of the Province of Huelva
- Felipe Fuentelsaz – Head of Agriculture and Water Projects WWF Spain
- Helder Cipriano – Berry Gardens Technical Purchasing Manager
- Juan Andrés Reales – Director of Realza Ingenieros
- Dña. Ana Martín- Consultant for Gabinete Iniciativas Europeas ( GIESA)
After the coffee break, the activity resumed with a second round table on “Agreements for dialogue and getting the message to the market”, in which the participants took part:
- Juan Antonio García – Vice-president of the Huelva Provincial Council
- Rafael Domínguez Guillen – Manager of Freshuelva
- Felipe Fuentelsaz – Head of Agriculture and Water Projects WWF Spain
- Dña. Mette Slot Lykke – Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist at Coop Trading Denmark
- Dña. Amalia del Río – Director of Mercados Magazine
- Agustín Borrero – Operations Manager SAT Algaida Producers
The meeting highlighted the need to speed up the implementation of the planned infrastructures, the common commitment to combine economic and social development with environmental development, the technology necessary to achieve maximum performance of water resources and the importance of highlighting the good practices of the agri-food sector in order to convey the reality of the sector to customers, consumers and public opinion.
The recording of the meeting, organized by the Ethical Trade Forums, is available at this link.