The pandemic caused by COVID has changed many things on many different levels. From the way we work to the way we shop. From how we relate to each other to our consumption habits. And everyone, some more, some less, has thought about things they had never stopped to think about before.
A clear example of this can be found in the way we eat. We are witnessing a trend that leads consumers to look for healthier food alternatives, preferably from brands that are increasingly committed to the social and environmental surroundings, and that use local products to promote the local economy.
One of those products that have seen their sales increase in this time have been vegetable drinks. Soya, oats, almonds and nuts are becoming increasingly important among customers’ preferences. If we combine this boom in vegetable drinks with conscious consumption, we find cases such as Vivesoy, the only brand of vegetable drinks with 100% local cultivation. Now, in addition, its origin is certified by AENOR through the Guaranteed Origin seal.
A trend towards the local
A commitment to a local economy makes it possible to rely on local products. And this resource not only involves companies, but also consumers who are increasingly aware of the origin of the food they take home. This reality is supported by studies such as The consumer psychology of Kantar (Division Worldpanel), which argues that in our country the health crisis is changing the buying habits of 64% of Spanish households, and that 70% believe that brands, manufacturers and distribution have a key role in the economic recovery of the country. Or the study Consumer Attitudes, by Mintel, which states that 76% of Spaniards say they always or almost always buy national products and 75% do so to support national employment as the main reason.
Consumer preferences and brand commitment go hand in hand. and there are more and more people who value local production. For this reason, more and more companies, such as Pascual, are committed to a transformation based on local production. Thanks to this, farmers and livestock farmers in our country have gained prominence in our selection of products and, therefore, in our food.
A certificate that guarantees its origin
Of all those we can find on the market, Vivesoy de Pascual is the only brand of 100% locally grown vegetable drinks. Now, it is also certified by the AENOR Guaranteed Origin seal, which guarantees the Spanish origin of all its raw materials: soya, oats, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. According to Javier Mejía, AENOR’s Director of Sector and Product Marketing, “consumers obtain an additional guarantee of the quality of its products”.
With the relaunch of Vivesoy, the company is putting its brand of vegetable drinks as another example of its commitment to the Spanish agri-food industry and to sustainable and local production.
For Javier Peña, Director of Pascual’s Dairy and Vegetable Drinks Business, “this certificate demonstrates Pascual’s concern for the sustainability of its products”, so that the company promotes domestic supply and production, supporting the development of rural areas and reducing environmental impact. This AENOR distinction, as Daniel Sánchez-Patón, Pascual’s Quality and Environment Director, points out, “guarantees the guarantee of the local origin of the raw materials used by Pascual”, which is a commitment on the part of the company to transparency in consumer information.
Pascual and its farmers, a matter of confidence
None of this is by chance. Pascual has been working with local farmers since 2005. As Pablo Redondo, Pascual’s Head of Agro Purchasing says, “it is a relationship based on trust, professionalism and the long term. More than 95% of the farmers who work with Pascual come back to us the following year”.
For Pascual, the farmers with whom it collaborates are the cornerstone of the whole process and for this reason, as Pablo Redondo continues, “we work very closely with them, advising them and offering them continuous technical monitoring, which results in more efficient, profitable crops of the highest quality. In addition, we manage to promote the local economy and local produce, giving continuity to the work of farmers and companies based in rural areas”.
Under this philosophy, Pascual managed to recover in 2005 the cultivation of soya in our country, which was practically extinct, managing to offer farmers a very attractive alternative crop that makes their fields profitable”. “Today, we can proudly say that 100% of the soya produced for human consumption in Spain comes from crops promoted by our company”, says the head of Agro Purchasing.
Currently, Pascual works with 136 local soybean farmers (through direct contracts prior to planting), reaching about 1,300 ha. distributed between Castilla y León, Extremadura, Aragon, Navarra and Catalonia.
In turn, the company works with around twenty oat farmers, covering 500 ha of this winter cereal located in Castile and Leon, Navarre, the Basque Country and Aragon.
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