Date
26 April 2021
Continente buys more than 365 million euros from national production
In 2020, through the Continente Producers Club, Sonae MC bought 206 thousand tonnes of products from national production, with a total value of 365 million euros, which represents a 28% growth in relation to the tonnes purchased in 2019.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Continente has helped several national producers sell their excess production and, thus, reinforced, in a transversal way, the purchases of meat of national origin to 57 thousand tonnes, highlighting the beef category where Continente doubled purchases from national production, highly leveraged in the Angus and Limousine breeds and also in the native breeds. In 2020, meat purchases accounted for 80% of total purchases in this segment.
In turn, fish, purchased daily in 14 Portuguese fish markets, has reached purchases of more than 550 tonnes in 2020. In addition, the brand increased, by over 50%, purchases of species such as sea bass, sea bream, turbot and trout to national aquaculture projects, as well as to the internal aquaculture project in the Algarve, which produces national bream.
In terms of fruit, the purchase from national producers of around 16 thousand tonnes of citrus fruits stands out.
Regarding the fight against food waste, through the Continente Producers Club (CPC), the goal is to ensure that producers know how to produce in a sustainable way and, in this sense, launched the platform against food waste – Waste Market (Feira do Desperdício). This platform promotes the use of waste / by-product generated by producers, by boosting partnerships between production - industry - retail, and that can develop projects for innovation and circularity.
“Production and sustainable consumption are the main concerns of the CPC. Thus, in line with the UN's 12th goal, as well as the European ‘Prado ao Prato’ (meadow to plate) strategy, the CPC will present its 256 members with a proposal for a 'Declaration for Sustainability', based on 11 principles and various initiatives, per unit of business, to be implemented in 3 years”, explains Ondina Afonso, President of the Continente Producers Club. "The goal is to help producers to fulfil the goals outlined by the European Commission, so the CPC now considers compliance with this agreement as one of the most important criteria in the purchase decision process", continues the oficial.
“The pandemic has reinforced the importance of buying nationally or locally and, consequently, of placing more emphasis on short supply chains. However, local production has always been one of the axes of CPC's activity - we promote exclusive regional products in some stores, which means reduced transportation circuits” explains the president of the CPC.
The CPC’s goal is to make national products of excellence available to customers, resulting from a partnership with producers, supported by technical and scientific knowledge and which allows the offer to be aligned with consumer trends. The CPC is also committed to supporting local production, to small-scale producers, managing to supply some stores in the Continente retail chain, resulting in an offer of “Products from the Region”.
About the Continente Producers Club
The CPC is a support structure for Portuguese agricultural production, created in 1998, with the aim of bringing Sonae MC closer to national producers, distributed from North to South of the country, Azores and Madeira. Its mission is to promote national products according to high quality and safety standards, supporting its members, in a consistent and structured manner.
Producers find in the CPC a guaranteed way to sell their production, while Sonae MC guarantees the offer, to its customers, of Portuguese products that respect the best production practices.
The CPC has been working in favour of the national agricultural sector, creating jobs, fostering regional development, promoting ambitious, innovative projects and of indisputable economic and social added value for our country.
The CPC currently has more than 240 members, including producer organizations, individual farmers and family businesses producing: fruits and vegetables, cold cuts (cheeses and sausages), meat, bakery and traditional pastries, fish, wines, olive oil, eggs, honey and take-away meals/products.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Continente has helped several national producers sell their excess production and, thus, reinforced, in a transversal way, the purchases of meat of national origin to 57 thousand tonnes, highlighting the beef category where Continente doubled purchases from national production, highly leveraged in the Angus and Limousine breeds and also in the native breeds. In 2020, meat purchases accounted for 80% of total purchases in this segment.
In turn, fish, purchased daily in 14 Portuguese fish markets, has reached purchases of more than 550 tonnes in 2020. In addition, the brand increased, by over 50%, purchases of species such as sea bass, sea bream, turbot and trout to national aquaculture projects, as well as to the internal aquaculture project in the Algarve, which produces national bream.
In terms of fruit, the purchase from national producers of around 16 thousand tonnes of citrus fruits stands out.
Regarding the fight against food waste, through the Continente Producers Club (CPC), the goal is to ensure that producers know how to produce in a sustainable way and, in this sense, launched the platform against food waste – Waste Market (Feira do Desperdício). This platform promotes the use of waste / by-product generated by producers, by boosting partnerships between production - industry - retail, and that can develop projects for innovation and circularity.
“Production and sustainable consumption are the main concerns of the CPC. Thus, in line with the UN's 12th goal, as well as the European ‘Prado ao Prato’ (meadow to plate) strategy, the CPC will present its 256 members with a proposal for a 'Declaration for Sustainability', based on 11 principles and various initiatives, per unit of business, to be implemented in 3 years”, explains Ondina Afonso, President of the Continente Producers Club. "The goal is to help producers to fulfil the goals outlined by the European Commission, so the CPC now considers compliance with this agreement as one of the most important criteria in the purchase decision process", continues the oficial.
“The pandemic has reinforced the importance of buying nationally or locally and, consequently, of placing more emphasis on short supply chains. However, local production has always been one of the axes of CPC's activity - we promote exclusive regional products in some stores, which means reduced transportation circuits” explains the president of the CPC.
The CPC’s goal is to make national products of excellence available to customers, resulting from a partnership with producers, supported by technical and scientific knowledge and which allows the offer to be aligned with consumer trends. The CPC is also committed to supporting local production, to small-scale producers, managing to supply some stores in the Continente retail chain, resulting in an offer of “Products from the Region”.
About the Continente Producers Club
The CPC is a support structure for Portuguese agricultural production, created in 1998, with the aim of bringing Sonae MC closer to national producers, distributed from North to South of the country, Azores and Madeira. Its mission is to promote national products according to high quality and safety standards, supporting its members, in a consistent and structured manner.
Producers find in the CPC a guaranteed way to sell their production, while Sonae MC guarantees the offer, to its customers, of Portuguese products that respect the best production practices.
The CPC has been working in favour of the national agricultural sector, creating jobs, fostering regional development, promoting ambitious, innovative projects and of indisputable economic and social added value for our country.
The CPC currently has more than 240 members, including producer organizations, individual farmers and family businesses producing: fruits and vegetables, cold cuts (cheeses and sausages), meat, bakery and traditional pastries, fish, wines, olive oil, eggs, honey and take-away meals/products.