Environmental sustainability

 

Workers welfare

 

Responsible hiring and temporary agency

 

Workers voice

 

Environmental sustainability

 

Management systems

 

Sustainable communities

 

Health & Safety

 

Best Practices Collection

 

Challenges regarding sustainability and plastic reduction plan

 

 

Company: Angus Soft Fruits, S.L.
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: ASF objectives in terms of sustainability
Impact of the project: Reduction of packaging waste
Challenges of the project: Plastic reduction plan

Summary of the initiative and results

Continuous improvement with short and long term objectives. Elimination of pads and launch of cardboard tubs in the UK.

Project

 

Irrigation on demand

 

 

Company: La Cartuja de Moguer, S.L.
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: The main reason is the search for the best irrigation efficiency, in our crops, especially in those around Doñana.

Impact of the project:

It is the first year, in this second year we intend to improve irrigation and save water.

Challenges of the project:

The main challenge was to save the poor quality of the water.

Summary of the initiative and results

Compare irrigation on demand (RAD) with traditional irrigation. The result was a 6% lower production of the RAD, and a difference in irrigation of 17% of water consumption in favor of the RAD.

Project

 

Best practices for reducing the Water and Carbon Footprint

 

 

Company: La Paloma
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Own initiative
Impact of the project: Positive. Thanks to our reduction plans we have managed to significantly reduce footprints.
Challenges of the project: Since our beginnings we have been committed to the environment and to the sustainable management of resources. Therefore, all our efforts are dedicated to optimizing them and our main challenge is to reduce the consumption of Water and Energy. For this, we have different reduction plans.

Summary of the initiative and results

  • Water use reduction plan: Our main source of water comes from desalination plants. 90% of our greenhouse crops are under a hydroponics system. We have an irrigation system programmed by demand tray (it is only watered when the plant needs it). In addition, we have high-tech programmers, humidity and electrical conductivity probes (SMART WATER POINT) for soil crops.
    To certify that our action plan meets the objectives, we calculate the water footprint and water footprint according to the Water Footprint Network (WFN) and ISO 14046:2014 standards, respectively. In addition, we have been certified in AWS (Alliance for Water Stewarship).

 

  • Plan to reduce energy and CO2 emissions. We currently have a large number of solar plants that serve our facilities, our goal being to be able to produce with 100% renewable energy. Since 2020 we have carried out these installations in order to serve our heads and warehouses. Some of them are installed on the surface of reservoirs, with this, we manage to reduce CO2 emissions from our activity and reduce the evaporation of water from the reservoirs where they are installed.
    Currently, we are in full swing of changes in our facilities to favor the reduction of energy consumption (LED light, electric cars, lithium batteries…).
    In addition, we crush the vegetable remains generated in all our fruit trees, to avoid agricultural burning. With this we have managed to incorporate 100% of the waste produced into the soil and thus have reduced CO2 emissions.

    To certify that our action plan meets the objectives, we carry out the carbon calculation according to the ISO 14067:2018 standard.

    Thanks to our reduction plans, in the last year we managed to reduce the water footprint by 50% and energy consumption by 40%.

Project

 

The Carbon Footprint as a key element in the Corporate Environmental Sustainability strategy

 

 

Company: Hortifrut
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Internal perspective of Hortifrut’s strategic map
Impact of the project: EMEA and Global

Summary of the initiative and results

Understanding the origin of the emissions, the measurement methodology and planning of reduction actions

Project

 

Demonstration and adaptation of an irrigation system on demand in strawberry cultivation to optimize the use of water and nutrients

 

Company: Flor de Doñana
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Maximum use of water.
Impact of the project: Optimization of water resources.

Summary of the initiative and results

Application of innovative techniques to achieve resource optimization

Challenge: Maximum use of each available drop of water.

Application of different innovative techniques to maximize sustainable production

Project

 

Soil improvement strategies

 

Company: El Ciruelo
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Soil transformation and improvement.
Impact of the project: Productivity increase.

Summary of the initiative and results

We apply 5 innovative strategies to achieve an improvement in soil health.

Challenges Improvement in:

  • Irrigation and nutritional control
  • Application of beneficial organisms
  • Use of alternative planting media
  • Development of ground covers
  • Innovation in multifunctional margins

Project

 

Promotion of biodiversity

 

Company: Agolives
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: The Agolives Biodiversity Promotion project was created in response to a recognition that the use of unsustainable farming practices was harmful to profitability.
Impact of the project: Through the use of these and other techniques, Agolives achieved a series of results including a balance between the population of insects and pests, a reinforcement of the biological activity of the soil and the conservation and regulation of water and soil resources.

Summary of the initiative and results

After acquisition in 2014, Agolives developed agronomic techniques and practices to achieve a sustainable olive growing model that balanced the environment with economic profitability. It was a model that could be transported to other farmers as the basis of the company’s sustainability protocol. The techniques and practices applied support more efficient risk management, relying on field measurement and control techniques such as meteorological stations. They also practiced deficit irrigation, controlling the use of water on the farm and integrated production, to reduce the use of chemical products as much as possible.

Project

 

The development of the multifunctional margin

 

Company: El Ciruelo
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Aims to contribute to the delivery of global sustainable development, managing the challenges posed by agriculture for the benefit of current and future generations.
Impact of the project: The short-term benefits discussed are protection against evaporation, protection against erosion and increased biodiversity. And in the long term, transformation of the soil, increased productivity and improved harvest quality.

Summary of the initiative and results

The most innovative project carried out is LivinGro, that provides a new and more comprehensive vision of biodiversity by studying the microbiota and macrobiota of the soil and its influence on the quality and quantity of the harvest and therefore on profitability.

Project

 

Suistainable use of water

 

Company: Grupo Paloma
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Own initiative and improvement of profitability.
Impact of the project: Reduce the use of water, know the variation of its use in our crops over time, allowing us to act on it and reduce water evaporation in reservoirs and CO2 emissions.
Challenges of the project: Continue with this initiative until it is possible to reduce and / or maintain the goals achieved, and to expand the surface of the solar plants.

 

Summary of the initiative and results

90% of our greenhouse crops are under a hydroponic system. We have an irrigation system programmed by demand tray (it is only watered when the plant needs it). In addition, we have high-tech programmers, humidity and electrical conductivity probes (SMART WATER POINT) for soil crops. Since 2016 we have carried out the calculation and verification of the Water Footprint, in the last year we have also carried out the Water Footprint. We have reached the calculation of 300 ha of hydroponic tomato, table grape, nectarine and pomegranate cultivation, which represents 30% of the surface. They have been verified according to the Water Footprint Network (WFN) and ISO 14046: 2014 standards respectively. We have five solar plants, three of which are located in our reservoirs. With this, we manage to reduce CO2 emissions from our activity, water evaporation and energy consumption.

Project

 

Efficient use of water in greenhouse horticultural crops

 

 

Company: Eurocastell
Area: Sustainability

 

Summary of the initiative and results

Project

 

Our environment

 

Company: Grupo Toro Verde
Area: Sustainability

 

Summary of the initiative and results

Project

 

Compilance with environmental requirements in agricultural farms

 

                                                                                   

Company: Driscolls / Realza Ingenieros
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Agriculture in the Doñana Environment
Justify to clients:
• Crops in non-agricultural areas.
• Irregular wells.
• Use of rainwater.
• Stream catchments.
• Rafts not legalized.
Conscious consumers.
Environmental groups.
Impact of the project: Confidence-building initiative for consumers.
Detailed knowledge of the supplier.
Efficiency in order management.
Decrease in claims.
Transparency before clients and consumers.
Selection of suppliers and promotion of self-control.
Open to third party supervision.
Innovative, open, cloud-based system …

 

Summary of the initiative and results

Soil and water legality on farms
The objective is to have an approximation of compliance with the environmental regulations of the agricultural farms that produce fruit for Driscoll’s in Huelva.
• Land use.
• Water concessions.
• Rafts.
• Others: streams, cattle trails, corridors, …
Special attention to the surroundings of Doñana.
Commitment to transparency with clients.

Project

 

Environmental challenges

 

Company: Vicente Giner
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Performance from field to warehouse, taking into account the different environments / conditions and climates of the area.
Impact of the project:
• Depending on the characteristics of the area, we must adopt specific control and management measures for the farms.
• The sustainability of our exploitation is guided by its integration into the environment.
• The use of biodiversity in our favor, using the synergy generated by the relationships between different species and our cultivation is key to the long-term survival of our farms.
Challenges of the project:

Management of water and energy resources:
Limited water resources.
Poor quality water along with saline and sodified soils.

Crop management and pest control:
Crop competitiveness.
New emerging pests and legislative restrictions.
Search for alternatives to the use of pesticides.

Biodiversity management:
Crops not integrated into the ecosystem.
Biodiversity loss.

Summary of the initiative and results

Management of water resources and fertilization:
Mediterranean area
• Use of padding that optimizes the use of water and herbicides.
• Agrometeorological station.
• Organic amendments.
Management of water resources and fertilization:
Mediterranean area
• Use of padding that optimizes the use of water and herbicides.
• Agrometeorological station.
• Organic amendments.
Management of water resources and fertilization:
Mediterranean area
• Use of padding that optimizes the use of water and herbicides.
• Agrometeorological station.
• Organic amendments.

Project

 

Social, economic and environmental sustainability in the use of water

 

Company: El Ciruelo
Area: Sustainability
Reason why it started: Reduce the water footprint.
Impact of the project: Improvement in saving water and supplies.
Challenges of the project: Infrastructure and economic effort.

 

Summary of the initiative and results

In the different initiatives, it has been possible to save between 30% -60% of water.

Project