Aldi, one of the German companies appealed by the campaign of the Campact association to stop selling strawberries from Spain and not contribute to the drying up of the Doñana National Park, assures that they have promised to "work only with those producers who, in If they are located in areas classified as water risk, they demonstrate reasonable and sustainable use of irrigation water".
In a statement, the distribution company with a presence in Spain states that they are "aware" of the "impact and responsibility throughout the value chain in relation to respect for the environment and respect for people." "For this reason, we regularly assess potential environmental risks throughout the supply chain," he explains.
In the note sent late this Wednesday, after even the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has become involved in favor of the campaign promoted by the German association, Aldi guarantees that it works with suppliers that share its "way of understanding quality and responsibility", and that they maintain "fair and cooperative business relationships with them, some for decades", and are committed "to complying with social standards and national legislation throughout the supply chain".
"We require our suppliers, as well as their growers, to meet our standards and all of our fresh produce - including strawberries - are subject to mandatory certification requirements that are determined based on the country of origin," the company adds.
"We are committed to ensuring that the products we sell are produced sustainably and we work to ensure that our suppliers minimize their environmental and social impact," the statement insists. In this sense, they undertake to "work only with those producers who, if located in areas classified as water risk, demonstrate reasonable and sustainable use of irrigation water."
The company recalls that, in 2022, it introduced specific regulations focused on water management or more sustainable production methods and that Andalusia, which includes the Huelva region, was classified as a "risk region in terms of water scarcity and quality". water".
"Consequently, from July 2022, Aldi producers of the 15 main fruit and vegetable products, including strawberries, from Huelva must also be certified according to the Global G.A.P. Spring supplement ("Sustainable program for irrigation and use of groundwater".) or an alternatively accepted standard", he says.
It also stresses that, since 2022, the ALDI Nord Group of Companies is a member of the Collective Activity for Water Management in Southern Spain project of the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), which is a leading organization in sustainability. "The program aims to reduce water stress in this region by 2030, which is critical for the fruit and vegetable sector. The accession complements our current measures to use fresh water sustainably in our supply chains in southern Spain" , he concludes.
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