Finnish retailer S Group is participating in a joint pilot project for sustainable water use in the region of Huelva and Doñana in southern Spain.
The project, coordinated by the international cooperation network Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), also involves Coop Trading, a procurement company for Nordic cooperative companies, and three other European trade groups, Finnish the retailer noted.
Scott McCready, director of strategy at AWS said, "We are bringing together retailers and fruit, berry and vegetable producers in the province of Huelva, Spain. The aim is to increase knowledge and understanding, develop skills and create a network to promote sustainable water use.
"The collaborative nature of the programme will enable producers to work together to address common water challenges. We thank the S Group and other European retailers for their leadership and commitment to this work."
Spain is one of the major vegetable-producing countries in Europe, and one of the most important for the S Group for purchasing fruit and vegetables.
The project aims to better understand the activities that affect common water resources in the area and find solutions to these challenges.
'Local Impact'
"The products we buy have an impact on nature and people. These impacts are always local, and mitigating them requires a concerted effort by those in the same geographical area. We want to be involved in developing new types of cooperation models," said Nina Elomaa, sustainability director at S Group.
For S Group, this project is an opportunity to collaborate with other European trade groups in the area of water responsibility and achieve an increased understanding of the necessary corrective measures.
As part of the project, AWS first investigates the state of the water in the catchment area and the root causes behind the challenges.
The project includes training sessions aimed at farms and all participants also receive a farm-specific analysis regarding remedial water responsibility measures at the end.
Many areas in Spain have been affected by drought this year and according to the Spanish Federation of Food and Beverage Industries (FIAB) it will have an impact on agriculture and livestock as well as the food processing industry.
