Social responsibility continues to gain ground among Italian companies. Coop, which has always been in a very advanced position on the ethics of production, presented the campaign "Buoni & Giusti Coop”On 17 March 2016, in Rome, at the Ministry of Agricultural Policies, with Minister Maurizio Martina present.
The 13 "dirty supply chains" under control
The initiative is one of those that leave their mark. The first brand of large-scale distribution in Italy extends the legality checks to all fruit and vegetables for sale in its 1.100 points of sale. Supply chain controls, i.e. from field to table, for citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, melons, watermelons, grapes, new potatoes and other 5 widely consumed vegetables.
The same rigorous criteria with which the suppliers of Coop branded products are selected are now extended to all suppliers of fruit and vegetables in the 13 supply chains at risk of crime and exploitation, the so-called "dirty supply chains", in which it is estimated that 400 thousand workers are harassed. , 80% of which are foreigners.
"A serious phenomenon, which does not concern only the South, and which ruins the economy of our country," he says Marco Pedroni, president of Coop, who recalls: “To change, daily behavior counts”.
The guarantees offered to the consumer
First distributor in Europe to adopt, in 1998, the SA8000 standard to obtain precise guarantees on the subject of social responsability from its own branded product suppliers, Coop has always supervised the entire chain of agri-food products offered under its own brand. A selection criterion well known to the 8 million Coop members and to which more and more Italian consumers are now looking. First of all the consumers, who share social responsibility with purchasing choices and active participation.
From branded products to all the fruit and vegetables present in the points of sale
The "Buoni & Giusti" operation involves all 832 Coop fruit and vegetable suppliers, with whom they work over 70.000 farms. All are obliged to sign the Code of Ethics and accept the control plan aimed at ascertaining compliance with the agreements. Under penalty of exclusion from the shortlist of suppliers.
The 7.200 agricultural companies that supply the products then marketed under the Coop brand - already "clean" - are also invited to join the Ministerial Quality Agricultural Work Network, which certifies the correctness of the company in compliance with the laws, including contractual ones. and social security, and the absence of criminal convictions or pending.
Marta Strinati
A professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic studies on food and has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
