SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, March 31 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The ALDI supermarket chain has presented this week at a banana farm in La Orotava (Tenerife) the initiative with which it values the work in terms of sustainability of Canarian producers and good practices in banana cultivation in the Canary Islands.
This action is part of its sustainability plan for this 2023, an initiative that focuses on basic foods that are necessary for day-to-day life and on how the use of sustainable practices influences its forms of cultivation and production processes. .
Hand in hand with La Fast, ALDI’s supplier of Plátano de Canarias in the archipelago, and ASPROCAN, management body of the PGI Plátano de Canarias (the only banana recognized with the European quality seal of Protected Geographical Indication), analyzed the lines of action that are being applied to ensure the sustainability of plantain cultivation in the region.
Investment in production systems that are more efficient in irrigation, commitment to cultural work to provide plants with greater resistance to pest attacks and minimizing the use of phytosanitary products in favor of other, more natural prevention methods. and harmless to the environment, are some examples of the actions carried out by the Canarian banana sector to adapt to the new environmental reality.
THE ONLY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT WITH CARBON FOOTPRINT CERTIFICATION
Ricardo Torres, manager of La Fast, the only ALDI supplier of Plátano de Canarias on the islands, explained that “since 2013, the Canary Islands banana is the only agricultural sector in Spain with a carbon footprint certification that includes not only production , but its distribution and commercialization in the Peninsula”.
Thus, he added that “thanks to its respectful production with the environment, the banana from the Canary Islands generates an amount of CO2 emissions of 120.71 grams per kilogram, a figure much lower than that of other types of crops.”
For her part, Esther Domínguez, head of the technical department of ASPROCAN, the management body of the PGI Plátano de Canarias, stressed that the cultivation of bananas from the Canary Islands is carried out “complying with the highest standards of quality and respect for the environment, and guaranteeing compliance with the strictest labor and social conditions established by the European Union”.
In addition, he pointed out that its production “is very valuable” both for the conservation of the landscape environment in the archipelago and for the protection of native flora and fauna.
ALDI, A COMPANY COMMITTED TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
Within the framework of its Sustainability Plan for this 2023, ALDI remains firm in its “commitment” to the environment and society, leading a series of initiatives focused on promoting sustainability in food, the company highlights.
The objective is to raise awareness of the importance of acting more responsibly and conscientiously in the habitual purchase by consumers and, at the same time, value the measures carried out by the company on a day-to-day basis with this same end.
During the event, the director of Quality and CSR of ALDI Spain, Eduardo Mas, stated that ALDI is “convinced” of the importance of its contribution as a company in the distribution sector “to help reduce the effects of climate change”.
“With this philosophy very present, we pay special attention to how the cultivation systems of certain foods –such as the Canary Islands banana– are oriented to be more sustainable and friendly to the environment,” he highlighted.
RELATIONSHIP WITH SUPPLIERS
During his speech, Mas also explained that the relationship with suppliers is one of the keys to the company’s sustainability strategy.
“We establish relationships of trust with national suppliers that comply with sustainability standards and with whom we share the same vision of product quality and care in the cultivation and manufacturing processes so that they are respectful of the environment,” he said. .
ALDI only works with La Fast as a supplier of bananas from the Canary Islands in the archipelago, a cooperative that dedicates its efforts to achieving a sustainable product with a low carbon footprint.
In this sense, all the bananas from the Canary Islands sold by the supermarket chain have the Global GAP certification of good agricultural practices, which certifies food safety, respect for biodiversity and the integrated management of their cultivation, as well as certificates such as ISO 22000:2005 and ISO 14001:2005.
In addition, close to 25% of the Canary bananas that the company sells in its stores is organic, a fact that guarantees a production free of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers that are harmful to the environment.
