Second-tier cooperative consolidates its role as a model of integration
Around 120 delegates attended the Green Fruits cooperative first convention for partners and employees, which took place in Oliva last week.
Entitled ‘Our Value: Integrating to consolidate the future’, the event discussed the strengths and opportunities offered by integration and intercooperation among cooperatives, exemplified by the Green Fruits case, as well as the commitment to innovation in production, technology, and management to advance and address future challenges in the sector, especially in the Valencian Community.
Green Fruits is a second-tier cooperative, formed in 2018 through the merger of three Spanish citrus cooperatives. Today it has six cooperative members.
During the event, the presidents of the six member cooperatives – Novacitrus, Coopcisa, Coopego, Copal, Alzicoop and Soex2 – discussed their reasons for joining Green Fruits, and the benefits the decision has brought them.
The convention also included a round table entitled. ‘Innovation in production, management, and technology’ and a presentation by Ángel del Pino, director of production and innovation at Anecoop, who outlined the research projects the cooperative of cooperatives is developing in its Museros trial farm, especially with citrus and persimmon, the two main crops of Green Fruits.
Victoria Ibáñez, head of plant Improvement at Anecoop, presented the Biotech laboratory of the production and innovation department and the scientific activities they carry out to advance crop improvement, as well as the search for market demands using biotechnology. Finally, David Ruiz, head of member technology services, explained the projects being promoted by Anecoop related to business management in various areas, all of which are targeted and tailored to the members who wish to implement them.
The day was closed by Jaime Torres, general manager of Green Fruits, and Miguel Abril, commercial director of Anecoop, in a session titled Strengths and opportunities of integration and intercooperation formulas’,” which set out the cooperative’s upward sales trajectory in the six years since it was founded. Abril, for his part, gave attendees a snapshot of the current state of the markets, distribution, and consumption, offering key insights for continuing to work toward keeping Green Fruits on the path to competitive growth.
