The CEO, Imanol Almudí, took part in the event, which was attended by representatives of the sector and national institutions.
Grupo Agroponiente has been one of the leading companies in the AgroForo organised by Grupo Libertad Digital (esRadio, Libertad Digital and LibreMercado) at the Spanish Engineering Institute (IIEs), with the presence of leading representatives of the fruit and vegetable sector in Almeria and also of agricultural policy.
The event, presented by the director of the programme ‘En Clave Rural’ on esRadio, María Santos, as well as the CEO of the Agroponiente Group, Imanol Almudí, was attended by José Manuel Benítez, Director General of Agriculture and Livestock of Extremadura; Sara Rubira Martínez, Regional Minister of Water, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Region of Murcia; Mª Cruz Díaz, President of the Engineering Institute; Carlos Novillo, Minister of Agriculture of Madrid; Lorena Ruiz, Director of Agri-Food Business of Banco Santander Spain; Pedró José Martínez, Coordinator of Salamanca Tech; and José Sandoval, General Director of Water of Murcia and Vice-president of the Regional Entity of Sanitation and Wastewater Treatment of Murcia (ESAMUR).
During his speech, Almudí put on the table some of the keys that define the Almeria agricultural model and differentiate it on a global level. ‘I think we lack communication, as we have always said. If you understand the market from the consumer’s point of view, the first thing you have to do is to talk to the consumer and sell the benefits of your model. Our model does not depend on energy, it depends on sunlight’, he said. In contrast to models such as the Dutch one, which is totally dependent on natural gas, Almudí underlined the competitiveness of an agricultural system that is practically self-sufficient in terms of energy and which, as he pointed out, ‘is 100% sustainable, if not 100%, then 99.7%’.
The Agroponiente CEO also emphasised the exportable value of the Almeria system. ‘Even the Israelis come to Almeria to see how we do things, which is impressive. We have a model that is already being imitated all over Africa and we believe that there is a great opportunity to lead a more rational and sustainable way of producing food from Almeria’.
Almudí did not avoid talking about the difficulties along the way, especially in terms of public funding: ‘Without a single euro in subsidies we are growing. And the only way we can do this is through size, by being bigger, stronger and with economies of scale’. In addition, he demanded that commercial companies should not be left out of aid to the sector. ‘It is not fair that a part of the sector like us, who provide a lot of employment, cannot access public aid because we are not an OPCH’.
Sustainability was another of the central themes of his speech. ‘For us, sustainability is one of the pillars of our strategy. Our customers and consumers are demanding it. It is a must’, he declared. He explained that Agroponiente has been measuring its footprint since 2019, implementing concrete practices to reduce environmental impact and optimise resources. This commitment has led the company to obtain B-Corp certification, which recognises companies with high social and environmental performance.
Almudí also wanted to stress the importance of the primary sector as a pillar of social welfare: ‘A better world is possible, built from the primary sector and understanding it as an essential part of our lives’. In this sense, he highlighted the role of Agroponiente as a driving force that is committed to the development of its human team, continuous innovation and transparency.
With regard to international policy, Almudí called for action on food sovereignty. ‘We cannot depend on third parties for food. If it is a very strong sector in Spain, let’s look after it,’ he said, alluding to the impact of measures such as the tariffs imposed by the United States.
Almeria’s participation in the Agroforo, both from a business and communication perspective, has been a first class showcase to continue positioning the province’s agricultural model as a benchmark for sustainability, innovation and leadership.
Communication Office
Grupo Agroponiente
