The underlying principle of any plan, goal plan, and strategy is the concept of sustainability. For instance, in the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Cooperatives of Val Venosta, located in Italy there is not one decision or move is taken or implemented without thorough analysis of the impact on the environment.

The initiatives taken in this area including dripline irrigation systems, self-generated electricity through photovoltaic panel, analysis of the footprint on the environment and pollination by bees are extensive and efficient however, it’s a only a support to the tasks executed on a regular basis by the original sustainable source — the makers of the Consortium which were the first growers of apples to implement the concept that integrated agriculture with farmers from VOG and were the major producers of organic apples throughout Europe over the past 25 years.

Viktoria Alber VIktoria Alber Sustainability Director

The significance that VIP attaches the sustainability aspect, i.e. its guiding force within its operations and activities, can be seen in the selection of an individual within the team. This person is solely responsible for developing sustainable development and making it the basis of a cohesiveness between all the departments within the company. That’s how the position of Sustainability Manager, which is currently filled by Viktoria Alber was incorporated to the team known as VIP. Every month, the manager brings together the heads of the various departments (quality, production, sales, purchase, marketing) to take stock of the realisation of the sustainability-themed projects undertaken and the commissioning of new ones.

Collaboration between Alber along with the different departmental heads who are involved in the dedicated meetings has led to an actual “sustainability team” and in recent time has worked on and executed a variety of projects with close cooperation from the cooperatives and producers. The projects range from boosting the amount of water used in the apple orchards with dripline irrigation (the goal is to raise this percentage from the present 58% to 80% by 2026) percent by 2026) to boosting the proportion in self-generated energy produced by photovoltaic solar panels that are installed within the cooperatives of the Consortium (increased by 12 percent over the past three years) in addition to quantifying the ecological impacts of every single apple, taking and processing the data of the cooperatives in each one and then releasing the eco-friendly measures taken during the given time.

Food waste reduction is an important issue for VIPs and apple farmers. More than 50 years ago it was the time that the South Tyrolean fruit industry founded an organization for producers to oversee processing industrial apple products. The apples which don’t meet the requirements of the market with regard to colour and dimension are turned to produce concentrates, juice of apple or puree to ensure that there is no loss and at the same at the same time, ensure an added value.

For further information:

VIP

T: +39 0473 723 300

E-Mail: info@vip.coop

www.vip.coop