Fruit Today magazine had the chance to talk to the company’s Operations Manager, Quico Cañamás.
Are you moving in the opposite direction to the world now, when all the financially sound sources are pointing towards a resurgence of own label brands?
It is true that we are living through moments of loss of spending power and own-label brands are reappearing as haven products. Fortunately, Cañamás Hermanos has some loyal partners who represent us in the distribution, who know that the value of own-label brands is important, but they also know that companies need a profit margin to be able to develop their R&D+i in all its aspects: technology, new packaging with formats that are more sustainable energy wise. A respectable profit margin is needed because without it, there will be no research and no company. Our values involve reinvestment, and therefore, creating a profit that can then be reinvested.
The word sustainability is a term that is overused and at times, as journalists we realise that there are many companies that practice “greenwashing” rather than sustainability. What does this term mean for Cañamás?
Firstly, this is not a new concept for us. We have been sustainable in all areas for over a decade now. For our company, it is not an option; it is the only way to conceive the business. In general terms, virtually all the efforts made in sustainability are carried out in the fields, but Cañamás has gone beyond this because years ago we started up water saving mechanisms and zero residue discharges. All of this carried out through our internal plans, which means that the proactivity of our maintenance managers has always been high. We opt for developing technologies from inside the company as nobody knows our needs better than us. Today, we have 30% water saving and zero discharge.
The evidence for all this is reflected in the BioDiversityGrow seal that we obtained several years ago, which appears on the label of our products and guarantees a sustainable crop, protection of the biodiversity, a healthy and resistant production, socially responsible work and the control of food wastage.
How do you see the sector in general terms?
I have complete confidence in the fact that the Spanish citrus fruit growing sector is irreplaceable by other sources and by other products regarding organoleptic quality and food safety. Virtually every week, health alarms of all types appear regarding multi-residues from other sources, something that is unthinkable in our productions.
