Pink Lady Europe has announced that it is rewarding six sustainable initiatives as part of “Imagine”, its social responsibility programme, with the aim of further bolstering these efforts in terms of social progress, environmental protection and economic efficiency.
Out of 20 French, Spanish and Italian applications, presenting projects on innovation, environmental protection, social progress and the younger generation, Pink Lady Europe has awarded prizes for the six best sustainable initiatives in the sector, with the winners presented at an annual meeting in Montauban, France.
The professional selection committee chose four promising projects: an in-depth social programme by Serrater in Girona, Spain; eco-conversion using insects by Mesfruits in Cavaillon, France; VOG’s development of a regional communication tool promoting the values of the South Tyrol apple sector in Italy; and Rémy Foissey’s Global Responsible Approach in Jonquières-Saint-Vincent, France.
Two other initiatives were named as worthy of special mention. Journalists in the produce trade selected Benoît Laforgue of EARL de Montfourcaud for an action plan to protect the biodiversity of wetlands near the company’s orchards, while Pink Lady Club members chose Robert-Pierre Cechetti of Les Vergers de Mauguio for the company’s sponsorship of food banks to fight waste.
“For us, the goal of this programme is to make our members proud again, and to share the amazing things that are done in the orchards, so as to spread our best practices and highlight the people who are committed to innovating and guaranteeing the excellence of Pink Lady apples,” said Didier Crabos, chairman of the Pink Lady Europe Association. “It’s a cornerstone of the Pink Ladyadventure: shared progress.”
The winning projects will be highlighted in a broad European trade press campaign and examined by the technical working groups organised by Pink Lady as part of its social responsibility programme.
“It's also a way of showing that social responsibility is an integral part of our daily life, and it takes us beyond the individual experience and towards collective mobilisation, a key point in the philosophy of Pink Lady,” added Crabos.
