88ENTREVISTA circular economy, and the responsible use of natural resources. Thanks to our vertical integration model, we can directly and quickly implement sustainable improvements across all stages of the value chain, from the farm to the consumer. We are firmly committed to self-generation of energy and the use of renewable sources, such as photovoltaic energy, which is already installed in many of our farms, production centers, and service stations. We are also promoting automation, intelligent process control using artificial intelligence, and the renewal of machinery to increase energy efficiency and reduce consumption at our facilities. Born in a dryland region like La Segarra, we are particularly aware of the value of water. Therefore, we have implemented a specific investment plan to optimize its use in all our activities. Of particular note is the more than €7.5 million invested in the Guissona Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), which incorporates advanced technology such as the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR), allowing up to 20% of the treated water to be reused for irrigation and cleaning. These measures have reduced industrial water consumption by 11.5% over the last two years. In addition, we work with institutions such as the University of Vic, the Catalan Water Partnership, and the Catalan Water Agency to continue promoting sustainable and innovative solutions. Finally, we continue to emphasize the importance of working on a concept that is central to bonÀrea: affordable sustainability. This means ensuring that sustainability can be met by family and consumer budgets; otherwise, the path will inevitably be limited. ➡ What future goals have you set? At bonÀrea, our strategic objective for the coming years is to continue consolidating our unique model of vertical integration, without intermediaries, expanding our territorial reach, and strengthening our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and operational efficiency. In this regard, for the 2025 financial year, as previously announced, we plan an investment of €116 million to strengthen key infrastructure such as the Guissona food center, promote the development of the new logistics center in Épila, Aragon, and expand the commercial network with the opening of 40 new bonÀrea establishments throughout the country. We aim to continue generating stable, quality employment, driving rural development, and guaranteeing access to fresh, safe, and sustainable food through an increasingly efficient, controlled, and technologically advanced logistics system. ➡ Do you have organic or animal welfare certifications? At bonÀrea, we have various certifications that endorse our commitment to sustainability, quality, and animal welfare throughout our integrated value chain. In the area of animal welfare, we hold the Welfair® Animal Welfare Certification certified by AENOR. This certification certifies all our farms (chickens, turkeys, laying hens, white and Iberian pigs, calves, laying quails, and dairy cows) in addition to certifying our pork, beef, chicken, turkey, egg, milk, and dairy products. This certification recognizes the good farming and industrial practices we apply to guarantee animal welfare and the traceability of all our products. We comply with the demanding criteria of the Welfare Quality protocol, which is based on fundamental principles such as good nutrition, good health, a suitable environment, and respectful behavior for livestock. We also hold ISO 9001 certification, which guarantees the quality of all our products and processes, and ISO 22000, which ensures food safety. Some of our production lines also comply with IFS and BRC, two food safety standards. Furthermore, bonÀrea Agrupa, the unincorporated conglomerate group to which Corporación Alimentaria Guissona, SA belongs, controls the entire production cycle, from its livestock farms to processing, distribution, and direct sale to the end consumer without intermediaries. This process, certified by AENOR as "Direct from the Farm," ranges from the birth of the birds and livestock, through feed manufacturing, animal breeding and fattening, slaughter, processing, and product processing, to distribution and direct sale in bonÀrea stores, guaranteeing food safety and complete traceability. All fresh meat, processed meat products, milk, dairy products, eggs, and products made with eggs from the farms of our partners and associated farmers come from animals raised on their own feed. Furthermore, the Corporation directly assumes and controls all production and sales processes to the end consumer, providing our processes with maximum efficiency and sustainability, without intermediaries. ➡ And in the environmental field? We have also been recognized for our constant efforts to reduce the ecological impact of our activities. We have ISO 14001 environmental management certification, and our Guissona production center, along with the feed factories in Bujaraloz, Tremp, Moià, Reus, and the Verdú hatchery, have obtained the "Zero Waste" certification from AENOR, thanks to a waste recovery rate of 98.9%. This achievement has been possible thanks to the continuous recycling and recovery of the waste generated at the various centers. In addition, we are promoting improvements in packaging, such as the RetornA project, which encourages the reuse and recycling of packaging, thus contributing to reducing the use of plastics and fostering a circular economy. At the same time, we are making progress in implementing renewable energy, installing photovoltaic panels in various facilities and implementing measures to improve energy efficiency in our production processes. These certifications and initiatives reinforce our commitment to a responsible, efficient production model aligned with the highest Food center Guissona bonÀrea.
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