Importaco Sustainability Report 2021

Jan PROA Plan

In line with our passion for doing things well, at the beginning of the year we drove forward the PROA Plan to boost our quality, excellence and specialisation plans by involving all the group’s professionals.

Feb Feb Commitment to innovation

Importaco joined the board of trustees of the Fundación LAB Mediterráneo, a project promoted by AVE (Asociación Valenciana de Empresarios) to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the region of Valencia.

Mar Reducing emissions

We have committed to reducing our emissions by 20% by 2023 through our new energy efficiency strategy. This strategy is aligned with the roadmap set out in the EU’s European Green Deal and sets targets to achieve 5 zero-emission production sites, drive sustainable product launches and achieve energy savings of more than 10%.

Apr Zero Waste certification

Our nut plant in Beniparrell (Valencia) received AENOR’s Zero Waste certification. This certification recognises Importaco’s environmental management work, which has allowed more than 99% of the waste generated at the production centre to be revalued and recycled.

May Online seminar: “Building trust: Food safety to protect consumers’ health”

In May, we organised our first webinar, called “Building trust: Food safety to protect consumers’ health”. The session addressed trust as a fundamental aspect of responsible business; for a consumer to buy a product, they need to be confident that the manufacturer is taking their needs into account.

Jun Launch of defatted peanut flour

New consumer demands and needs are driving us to innovate our product portfolio. This year, we launched a new product in Mercadona: high-protein, defatted peanut flour. Our colleagues in the Innovation department developed this soluble, high-protein, vegan product, meeting the needs of consumers who are increasingly demanding more plant-based protein and are aiming to reduce their fat intake.

Jul Our allergen-free sunflower seeds

We have improved the quality of our sunflower seeds by eliminating all allergens to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, increase process control and improve the specialisation of controls. The elimination of all allergens, moreover, ensures our product is suitable for people with food allergies.

Aug Besana reduces its emissions

The installation of a trigeneration (CCHP) plant at Besana powered by natural gas and electricity equivalent to 400 kWh simultaneously produces electricity, heat through diathermic oil and energy for refrigeration. This project represents a significant saving in primary energy, a significant reduction in emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere and an improvement in the efficiency of the production process. In 2021, the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 120 tonnes of CO2.

Sep Come Sano, Crece Fuerte Project

One of our greatest challenges is to contribute to creating a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system. At Importaco, as part of our commitment to health, we have launched a nutritional education project in Valencian schools and colleges with the help of nutrition experts. The slogan Come Sano, Crece Fuerte (Eat healthy, grow strong) reflects our aim to raise awareness among young people and provide them with tools that will enable them to look after their health and increase their well-being. In 2021, we managed to convey this message to a total of 225 children from different schools in Valencia.

Oct We isolated probiotic bacteria

Importaco’s innovation, quality and environment team identified three probiotics from the Lactobacillus and Pediococcus genera in our nuts, which have an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant effect according to in vivo and in vitro studies, reflecting the beneficial properties of nuts. We have developed an advanced food range consisting of almonds and walnuts enriched with these probiotics.

Nov We exceeded 650 hectares of our own peanut cultivation

At Importaco, we have reached 680 hectares of land in our own peanut cultivation project in Argentina, with a harvest that exceeds 3,100 tonnes. The project is part of the agricultural integration strategy, which aims to grow products that meet high standards of quality, food safety and sustainability.

Dec Economía 3 award for business trajectory

Importaco received the Economía 3 award for its business trajectory as a token of recognition to all the people who have accompanied us throughout our trajectory. It’s thanks to the professionalism, effort and dedication of all the professionals in the group that we have become a benchmark in the food sector. Our values and principles inspire us help us to fulfil our purpose of improving people’s health and well-being through sustainable production and consumption.

At Importaco, we are leaders in food and beverages. The company was founded in 1940 and specialises in the marketing of dried fruit and nuts and natural mineral water. We work to bring together quality, innovation and sustainability in order to improve people’s health and well-being.

Our international team is made up of 2286 people who develop a health-oriented business model to meet people’s expectations at every moment of consumption. To achieve this, we have an integrated value chain, an extremely professional team and highly specialised production centres.

Our business is developed with a focus on improving people’s health and well-being, as well as ensuring responsible production and consumption. The group’s activity is developed in two main business lines: food, focused on dried fruit and nuts, and natural drinks, focused on mineral water.

Importaco in the world

Our Group, with headquarters in Beniparrell (Valencia, Spain), has extensive presence worldwide. We have production centres and procurement offices for our different farming areas in Spain and in Italy, Poland, United Kingdom, Turkey, Argentina, United States and China. As for sales, we supply dried fruit and nuts to 48 countries.

Number of suppliers by geographical area

Economic and financial data

Collaboration across the entire agri-food chain is key to obtain nutritional and safe food. As part of our sustainable sourcing programmes for dried fruit and nuts, we work alongside farmers and businesses in the agri-food industry. Our shared aim is to find the best variety, the best origin, the best product: a level of excellence that will exceed consumer expectations.

To monitor and control suppliers’ sustainability compliance, we ask them to undertake the SMETA 4P audit, which allows us to understand the working conditions in their supply chain and covers the areas of labour, health and safety, environment and business ethics.

Applying the principles of good corporate governance is essential to earning our stakeholders’ trust and guaranteeing the sustainable growth of our company. The rules and principles that regulate the relations among the different governing and management bodies (shareholders, Board of Directors and Executive Committee) ensure all decisions create value in the long term and comply with stakeholders’ expectations.

Sustainability is one of the essential elements of our system of governance. This system requires the company’s governance to act diligently, ethically and transparently in the exercise of its duties.

GOVERNANCE BODIES
Board of Directors

Importaco’s Board of Directors is governed by the principles of professionalism and transparency. Its most important functions are: the approval of the management model, corporate policies and strategic plan; the monitoring of the key performance indicators; and the fulfilment of the investment plan.

Around 70% of its members are women, and it relies on external advisors to ensure excellence in its performance.

Importaco also holds shares in the companies Helados Estiu and Foener, and is a member of their boards of directors.

ETHICAL MANAGEMENT
Importaco, a business based on ethics

Transparency, ethics and integrity are indispensable values for Importaco. As part of our ethical management programme, the ethical code sets out our commitments to our stakeholders, the ethics channel allows for reporting breaches and resolving concerns, and the Ethics Committee oversees the implementation of the programme.

Our ethical code reflects our commitments to our stakeholders in terms of social and environmental responsibility, and represents the basis of trust necessaryfor long-term development. It is compulsory for all Importaco’s employees to comply with the code, irrespective of the country or department where they work.

Risk management

At Importaco, risk analysis and management are inherent to our business model and directly address the precautionary principle throughout our value chain. By improving the health and well-being of people, we aim to mitigate any risk arising from our operations. To this end, we have established processes to identify, assess, record and control ESG risks (those related to environmental, social and corporate governance criteria) in order to ensure the best possible management to achieve our objectives.

Our corporate risk map consists of a list of 64 risks, taking into account their likelihood and the different possible impacts: economic, reputational, environmental and people-related. This map has been defined on the basis of our business model, internal and external environment, product offering, as well as our mission, vision and core values.

Institutional relationships

The purpose of Importaco’s institutional relations programme is to collaborate with the organisation’s stakeholders in order to achieve sustainable development for the group. The lines of work that we develop within this programme are: the anticipation of food safety and quality risks to strengthen management policies; the search for shared solutions to achieve sustainable business development; and the analysis of the challenges faced by the sector for the creation of shared initiatives.

The presence of Importaco in institutions is divided into business, sectoral and sustainability associations. Importaco is a member of the boards of trustees of EDEM, the Fundación Lab Mediterráneo and the Fundación Étnor, as well as the Governing Council of AINIA and the boards of the following associations: Spanish Snacks Association, European Snacks Association, ANEABE (National Association of Mineral Water Companies), Cercle Agroalimentari de la Comunitat Valenciana and Almendrave, as well as the Executive Committee of FEDACOVA (Federation of Food Industries of the Region of Valencia).

Other associations in which we participate are: AVE (Asociación Valenciana de Empresarios), AECOC, International Nut Council, United Nations Global Compact, Family Business Institute and FRUCOM.

We recognise that our business activities affect numerous groups of people, and we consider our stakeholders as an essential element in our business model. For this reason, we integrate them into the company’s decision-making processes through consultation and, in some cases, direct participation in certain aspects of the organisation’s activity. This management model allows us to understand the expectations of our different stakeholders and identify areas for improvement by focusing on their needs. In this way, we fulfil our purpose of increasing people’s well-being.

In 2021, our priorities were based on improving our positioning in terms of specialisation, quality, innovation and sustainability. In addition, we are committed to increasing international communication and differentiating our company in the sector.

Promoting Leadership and Integrity.

The UN 2030 Agenda gives companies a key role and promotes their involvement in achieving a decent standard of living for all people. The SDGs related to decent work and quality of life for workers, gender equality, health and responsible consumption and production are especially important in this respect (SDGs 3, 5, 8, and 12).

At Importaco, we are aware that the people who make up our teams are the cornerstone of our growth. That is why we are committed to promoting the talent of every employee, offering quality jobs, fostering safe working environments and encouraging the personal and professional development of our entire workforce.

Our teams in different countries are made up of 2,286 people; they are our greatest asset and we owe the organisation’s success to them. At Importaco, we are all part of a great team with commitment and passion, based on our values and united by the same corporate culture.

Our team: diversity, talent and commitment

In accordance with SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, at Importaco we promote policies aimed at the development and growth of people, the creation of decent jobs, training, creativity and innovation, and we are always committed to well-being at work. In terms of professional careers, we encourage internal promotion to guarantee the professional development and motivation of our employees, which also favours the support and promotion of women to management positions in our organisation.

TRAINING

We believe in the capacity and potential of each person that makes up Importaco, which is why we promote training and the generation of opportunities within our company. We are committed to a comprehensive training plan for our employees, as we know that a motivated and knowledgeable team translates into a better working environment. We recognise that the preparation and continuous improvement of our employees helps us to increase our business competitiveness and to take on many more projects.

Furthermore, investment in training allows us to have a highly professional team that, through leadership and specialisation, works together well to deliver excellent products. In 2021, we invested more than 500,000 euros in the annual training plan. In total, there have been 48,283 hours of training: 26,866 for men (26 hours on average) and 21,237 for women (21 hours on average).

WORKING ENVIRONMENT STUDY

Maintaining an excellent working environment in which each person can develop their full potential is one of our commitments at Importaco to guarantee staff satisfaction. Workplace environment surveys are carried out every two years and are open to the entire workforce; participation is voluntary and anonymous to ensure the veracity of the answers and transparency.

The main aspects evaluated in the survey are communication, working conditions, change management, leadership and work organisation. In 2021, 982 people participated in the working environment assessment, which showed improved results over the previous one.

360° FEEDBACK

The purpose of conducting 360° feedback is to apply a comprehensive methodology to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the performance of the workforce. The first time we launched this assessment model to a large number of employees was in 2021, to a total of 480 employees at different levels.

Occupational health and safety

The profound changes brought about by the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns have created new challenges to be faced. The exceptional situation has led us to adapt our traditional programmes to the virtual world, while at the same time we encourage teleworking and bubble groups. The “I take care of myself; you take care of me” strategy has been the foundation of the occupational health and safety policy during this time. In this sense, we have implemented preventive actions through hygiene measures, separations, disinfection, reduction in the size of teams, work-life balance and control of numbers, as well as transparent communication at all times about hygiene measures, protocols and results in order to motivate the workforce.

At Importaco, we strive to protect labour rights and promote a safe, healthy and risk-free working environment for all employees. To this end, we follow the ISO 45001 standard and demonstrate our commitment to continuous improvement in managing our risks to worker health and safety by reducing accidents and illnesses, as well as increasing operational efficiency by reducing emergencies and sick leave.

Labour relations

Freedom of association, freedom to join a trade union and freedom to bargain collectively are fundamental rights. Through dialogue, we seek to address the needs of both sides and promote agreements that improve the well-being of employees and the company.

Our collective agreements go beyond the wage conditions of sectoral agreements and focus on improving aspects such as regularity of working hours, flexibility and work-life balance. 100% of our personnel in Spain is covered by a collective agreement. In the other countries in which we operate, we follow the country’s regulations. This is complemented by company policies that develop and enhance the provisions of these agreements.

In 2021, a new collective bargaining agreement came into force for the dried fruit and nuts business, bringing substantial labour improvements for its more than 1,100 employees. It is valid for two years (2021-2022) and introduces a labour architecture that guarantees the workforce a legal framework of greater labour stability and social protection in the current socio-economic context.

Equality, inclusion and diversity

We understand diversity as a fundamental factor for business success, as it ensures a wealth of talent. Therefore, our corporate culture is marked by the promotion of diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace through the recruitment, promotion and development of all people regardless of their social and economic background, age, religion, gender and sexual orientation.

Through this corporate culture, we create fair and diverse work environments in which we create opportunities for equal access to employment and career development. Our workforce is made up of employees of 23 nationalities, which fosters the creation of multicultural and international teams. Both genders are equally represented: 1,187 women and 1,099 men.

EQUALITY PLAN

The principle of equality has been present from the very beginning of the Importaco Group. This principle is present in our own agreement (art. 6) and in our ethical code: “We have the obligation to respect the physical and psychological integrity of all people and recognise that they deserve equal dignity and rights.” We have reinforced our commitment to equality by developing and implementing equality plans since 2007.

In 2021, we worked with the equality committees of both businesses, dried fruit and nuts and natural drinks, through the initial diagnosis and the planning of actions. We are committed to equal treatment and opportunities for women and men in our strategic plan.

Importaco’s remuneration policy is transparent and is linked to the job responsibilities and contribution. To eliminate any type of discrimination based on gender, race or social or political orientation, each position is evaluated with an independent tool based on hierarchical level and responsibility. The Importaco workforce receives an average salary of 26,001 euros, 27,934 for men and 23,859 for women.

Human rights compliance

SOCIAL COMPLIANCE PROGRAMME

When selecting and evaluating our suppliers, our criteria go beyond economic criteria and focus on environmental protection, compliance with human rights, labour and social standards, equality and anti-corruption policies.

Through the supplier code of conduct, we manage to transmit Importaco’s ethical culture throughout the supply chain and promote respect for fundamental human and labour rights. This code defines the minimum standards to be assumed and respected by suppliers, their employees, agents and subcontracted personnel in the development of their business activities and actions. In terms of labour practices, child labour and forced or compulsory labour are prohibited. Furthermore, the code highlights the obligation to ensure equality and non-discrimination, the provision of a decent working day and a decent wage, health and safety, and support for freedom of association.

DUE DILIGENCE

We apply due diligence in our value chain through different initiatives: on the one hand, we assess human rights compliance per country by monitoring compliance and through the Human Development Index; depending on the level of compliance in each country, we define the requirements within the Social Compliance Programme. Among the strategies we follow are the signing of the code of conduct, membership in Sedex and the SMETA 4P audit requirement. Both internal stakeholders (procurement and quality departments) and external stakeholders (customers, alliances such as Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, suppliers and local NGOs) are involved in this process.

Social actions to improve people’s health

Importaco works with social entities to improve people’s health and well-being through their diet. In 2021, we collaborated with public entities, such as the Town Council of Sagunto, by donating mineral water and dried fruit and nuts to benefit UNICEF. We also collaborated with social organisations such as the Spanish Cancer Association, the Refugee Aid Commission and the Sagunto Food Solidarity Centre.

In line with our aim to improve people’s health and well-being, we have promoted a social action project called Come Sano, Crece Fuerte (Eat Healthy, Grow Strong) based on nutritional education sessions aimed at pupils in the last cycle of primary and first cycle of secondary school.

With regard to the social development of the communities in which we are present, we have collaborated with the “Maestro Ponce” Municipal Conservatory of Chella through the contribution of 5,100 euros for the acquisition of new musical equipment. In this way, we manage to promote the socio-cultural activities of the municipality, especially those that contribute to the personal development and well-being of its inhabitants.

Suppliers

Caring for People’s Health and Well-being.

There is growing evidence of the importance of maintaining a conscious and healthy diet. Our diet can improve not only our health, but also that of the planet we live on, and this is leading people to seek a healthier diet.

At Importaco, we are convinced that healthy food must be appetising in order to meet society’s demands. Nuts, dried fruit, seeds and mineral water are part of a healthy and sustainable diet, as they have beneficial health characteristics and can also be enjoyed thanks to their texture and flavour. In addition, we apply the principles of responsible innovation in all research projects, where we integrate ethics, social responsibility and scientific collaboration. The main objective of our studies is to benefit the health of consumers by promoting healthy and more conscious eating, as well as to improve food safety and quality.

Technology Centre

The Technology Centre is where the company’s innovation and quality strategy is born. Importaco aims to use its annual investment of more than 6 million euros to become a benchmark in food safety, quality and innovation through the generation of knowledge, open innovation and applied research. In 2021, we inaugurated our semi-industrial plant to complete the scale-up process with the aim of rapidly launching innovative products. This plant is designed to address the needs of the market, capable of adapting its processes to the product design with maximum quality and flexibility.

Culture of excellence: PROA Plan

The pursuit of excellence is the purpose of our PROA Plan. This plan aims to ensure that all the people who make up Importaco are committed to quality and know how their daily work contributes to improving the company’s products.

The culture of excellence seeks to achieve a product of the highest quality. To achieve this, our plan puts customers and consumers at the centre of decisions through multiple initiatives, such as the detection of individual contributions, the product-person tandem and the cells of excellence.

At Importaco, we have created a 360° quality model with the aim of offering consumers safe, nutritious and healthy products. Through a transversal model, we manage quality from four dimensions: corrective, preventive, predictive and exploratory, which allow us to manage quality requirements globally and guarantee integration in every phase of the value chain.

The origin of this model is our specialised knowledge in three areas: the customer, the product and the process. At Importaco, we employ neuroscience studies that contribute to people’s well-being by understanding mental health and cognition. Through this research, which focuses on consumer perception of natural products, we discover how dried fruit and nuts interact with the human brain.

These processes are developed with transparency and from a multidisciplinary perspective, and involve different social players with the aim of guaranteeing the highest standards of quality and food safety.

In addition, we have an expert customer support team that analyses and manages the recommendations regarding our products. The protocols in place regulate response times to different queries, as our commitment is to respond immediately to possible food safety incidents. This team also leads customer audits and the deployment of improvements to the process regarding the technical specifications of the product.

Through the agricultural integration project, we work annually with more than 340 farmers who cultivate a total of 22,593 hectares of products such as peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, maize or pumpkin seeds. This project integrates all stages of cultivation and enables product traceability from the field, as well as the application of agricultural best practices aimed at maximising quality, reducing defects and detecting new risks.

We also have our own almond and peanut cultivation project with the aim of generating knowledge about cultivation processes and the integration of sustainable practices. In this way, we achieve a crop free of endemic diseases, guarantee traceability and adapt cultivation techniques to the needs of our customers. In 2021, at Importaco we have reached 680 hectares of land in our own peanut cultivation project in Argentina, with a harvest that exceeds 3,100 tonnes.

The Quality at Origin Programme aims to collaborate with direct suppliers to create a common project for quality and food safety aligned with Importaco’s criteria. To this end, we have two lines of work: audits at source and the implementation of quality management systems aligned with the culture of excellence. In 2021, we collaborated with 125 companies on various projects, such as the integration of new suppliers, the implementation of procedures for the selection of raw materials and the control of defects.

With an average of 70 audits per year in 25 countries, at Importaco we monitor parameters such as allergen management or the stability of the product’s nutritional values. Our production processes are certified to international BRC and IFS Food quality and food safety standards, as well as through verification systems for religious community practices, such as kosher and halal.

Suppliers

Agricultural integration