Why is sustainability important to your company?
Sustainability is very important to us because we not only want to be proud of what we do, but also of the way we do it. Therefore, since our company was founded in 1993, our daily business has always been guided by our corporate philosophy “Taste in harmony with people and nature”. On an environmental level, as an agri-food company we find nature to be our main ally. And, in this sense, it is a priority for us to make rational and efficient use of the resources it provides us with, while continuing to supply society with products that meet our standards of quality and taste. On the social side, through our corporate responsibility programme DREAMS we have always focused on the well-being of our employees, their families, as well as the local communities near our offices and production farms around the world. But in addition, sustainability has become for us today a cross-cutting issue throughout our supply chain, ensuring respect for human rights, dialogue and transparency in all our operations. Our approach is based on ESG criteria throughout our value chain.
How is sustainability managed within a multinational company like yours?
We understand sustainability as a common and global strategy that we transfer from the head office to all our subsidiaries in any country in the world, and to do this correctly we are working on a risk analysis of human rights and the environment in order to understand the context in which we find ourselves. Based on this analysis, a transversal and multidisciplinary working group has been created, which we have called the “Sustainability Working Group”, in which all the business units of our organisation are represented. The aim is to jointly define and implement SanLucar’s global sustainability strategy, to promote communication and training in this area and, above all, to make each member of the organisation aware of how sustainability impacts on their area of work.
How do the SDGs help you to set a direction in terms of sustainability?
SanLucar has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2011 and has been an active member of the Spanish Global Compact Network since 2018. In that same year, we began to work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which have helped us to set our course to follow in terms of sustainability. On the one hand, because they are the only goals that address sustainability from a universal perspective, which helps us to frame ourselves in a macro direction for the entire SanLucar Group. On the other hand, because they are long-term goals, they help us to focus on our priorities in the medium and short term. In this way, they have helped us to create the framework in which we really want to move, and to determine what affects us as a company in the agricultural sector. The SDGs also help to drive both internal and external communication of our various social and environmental initiatives, as they fall under some of the headings set by the United Nations.
How important do you consider partnerships and dialogue to advance sustainability?
Partnership is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 17 – and a maxim for us. Starting with our close relationship with our master farmers, with whom we are constantly exchanging experiences, but also through partnerships with many other stakeholders: we are members of different networks that promote sustainability and we regularly collaborate with different NGOs, foundations and/or associations. For us it is crucial to promote partnerships with institutions, companies and organisations in order to move towards a global sustainable development.
SanLucar received the FEDACOVA 2023 Award in the Sustainability category.
