Celebrations focused on the role of people as the fundamental pillar of the agri-food cooperative’s success over five decades
More than 850 people gathered at Valencia’s emblematic City of Arts and Sciences on Thursday to celebrate Anecoop’s 50th anniversary.
In a moving ceremony, the agri-food cooperative’s president, Alejandro Monzón, and its general manager, Joan Mir, paid tribute to the “half century of history and shared values, of unity, of collective effort, and of a deep commitment to agriculture, to the land, and to people”.
The event was dedicated to recognising and thanking all those who have made it possible, since its founding in 1975, for Anecoop to advance and consolidate its position as a leading agri-food cooperative. It included founders, current and former members of the governing board, partner organisations, farmers, Anecoop Group’s professional teams, suppliers, collaborators, organisations and institutions in the agri-food, scientific, and academic sectors, and the media.
“Thank you for believing in this project. Thank you for believing in the power of cooperativism,” Monzón stated, “Today we continue building together what others will continue. Through unity, which multiplies, protects, drives, and guarantees the future. Because when Anecoop moves forward, an entire sector and its people – our reason for being – move forward.”
Mir reviewed the key milestones reached during the half-century of Anecoop’s history, which he described as “adaptive, internationalised, diversified, innovative, and profoundly resilient”.
His speech concluded by focusing on one of the sector’s greatest challenges: generational change. He addressed his final words to the younger generation: “You have the great responsibility of feeding the next generations. We need your energy, your creativity, your talent, and your capacity to transform. You are the future. Our history is in your hands”, he said.
From disruptor to international benchmark in agri-food cooperation
Since its founding in 1975, Anecoop has experienced continuous growth, establishing itself as Spain’s leading fruit and vegetable exporter and an international benchmark in agri-food cooperatives. It offers a consistent product range in terms of volume, variety, and availability, present in 74 countries with a portfolio of over 90 products: citrus, seasonal and exotic fruits, greenhouse and open-field vegetables, as well as juices, preserved vegetables, flowers, ready-to-eat products, and wines.
Currently, it integrates, coordinates, and markets the production of 61 fruit and vegetable cooperatives and wine companies, representing more than 20,000 Spanish farmers who cultivate over 61,000ha across 13 provinces (Valencia, Castellón, Alicante, Murcia, Almería, Cádiz, Seville, Huelva, Ciudad Real, Segovia, Valladolid, Navarre, and Lleida). Its structure comprises five branches in Spain, twelve subsidiaries in eight countries, and two logistics platforms.
