• Consumption A campaign in Germany asks supermarkets not to contribute to the drying of Doñana with the sale of Spanish strawberries

Aldi, one of the German companies appealed by the campaign of the Campact association to stop selling strawberries from Spain and not contribute to the drying of the Doñana National Park, assures that they have committed to "work only with those producers who, in case of being located in areas classified as water risk, demonstrate reasonable and sustainable use of irrigation water."

In a statement, the distribution company with presence in Spain states that they are "aware" of the "impact and responsibility throughout the value chain in relation to respect for the environment and respect for people." "That's why we regularly assess potential environmental risks throughout the supply chain," he explains.

In the note sent late on Wednesday, after even the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has been involved in favor of the campaign promoted by the German association, Aldi guarantees that it works with suppliers who share its "way of understanding quality and responsibility", and that they maintain "fair and cooperative commercial relations with them, some for decades", and commit "to comply with social standards and national legislation throughout the supply chain".

"We require our suppliers, as well as their producers, to meet our standards and all our fresh products – including strawberries – are subject to mandatory certification requirements that are determined based on the country of origin," the company adds.

"We are committed to ensuring that the products we market are produced sustainably and work to ensure that our suppliers minimise their environmental and social impact," the statement said. In that sense, they commit to "work only with those producers who, if located in areas classified as water risk, demonstrate reasonable and sustainable use of irrigation water."

In 2022, it introduced specific rules focused on water management or more sustainable production methods and that Andalusia, which includes the Huelva region, was classified as a "risk region in terms of water scarcity and quality".

"Consequently, from July 2022, Aldi producers of the top 15 fruit and vegetable products, including strawberries, from Huelva must also be certified according to the Global G.A.P. Spring supplement ("Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use"). or an alternatively accepted standard," he says.

Since 2022, the ALDI Nord Group of Companies is a member of the Collective Water Management Activity in Southern Spain project of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which is a leading sustainability organisation. "The program aims to reduce water stress in this region by 2030, which is critical for the fruit and vegetable sector. The accession complements our current measures to use freshwater sustainably in our supply chains in southern Spain."

  • Germany
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • Huelva
  • Drought

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