On September 17, a new edition of the open days took place. This time it was held in Odemira, Portugal, and was organized jointly by Driscoll’s and the Ethical Trade Forums. This is the third activity of this type organized by the Sustainability Working Group.
A total of 15 people from different companies participated, accompanied by a representative from the Ethical Trade Forums.
The day was divided into two sites, which were visited, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In the morning, the group visited the Sustainability Research Center, which operates in collaboration with four entities: Driscoll’s, INIAV (National public research institute), Lusomorango, and RAC EMEA (owner of Maravilha Farms).
During the visit, it was possible to observe that this center primarily conducts research on blackberries and raspberries farming, focusing on water management, which has become a very important issue due to the proximity of a national park, a local community concerned about water needs, and the proximity of a growing tourist area. The center addresses water management efficiency through three main procedures: limiting growth and water use, expanding recirculation, and irrigation management techniques. Thanks to this management, measures have been implemented that have resulted in water savings of up to 30%. Work is also being done on substrate reuse, with a reuse ratio of 80%.
After lunch at the Research Center, the visit continued at Bica, a Maravilha Farms site owned by Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC), a global partner of Driscoll’s. Here, participants were able to see firsthand the reality of this company, which employs 1,000 people at peak season, from 15 different nationalities, mainly of Asian origin, all directly hired. Its retention rate is 75%, mainly due to productivity incentives, working conditions, and accommodation valued in the area. During the afternoon, they were able to visit the farm, learn about its production methods and water management, and see the accommodation conditions for the staff, which consists of 450 housing units and a shared kitchen for the workers.
The participants were very interested in the topics that were addressed, asking questions, and finally expressing their gratitude to Driscoll’s and Maravilha Farms for the generosity of sharing their knowledge and good practices.
The Ethical Trade Forums join the participants in expressing their gratitude, highlighting both entities as organizations with a clear focus on environmental and social sustainability.
Registration for next year is now open, so we invite other companies interested in sharing their best practices through an open day like this one, to contact the Ethical Trade Forums at afce@conexionsocial.com
The last few places are also available for the next visit, which will take place on October 24 in Níjar, at the Eurosol facilities. For more details, please click on this link.
