By: Carolina Torrado, Director of
Sustainability.
At DAABON we
are proud of who we are; leaders
in the production, processing and marketing of organic and sustainable
products
such as palm oil, bananas, coffee and avocado. Today, our pride and
commitment
to planetary sustainability has been advanced by being part of "The
Climate Pledge"; which currently brings together more than 200 companies
from various economic sectors at a global level, determined to turn the
climate
crisis into climate action. The pledge is to meet the objectives of the
Paris
Agreement 10 years ahead of schedule, that is, reaching zero carbon
emissions by
2040.
At DAABON,
commitment to sustainability is part
of the group's business culture and history. It is an essential part of
its
corporate principles: Respect, Integration, Sustainability and Love.
DAABON’s
sustainability journey started in 1991, when it adopted an organic
production
system and, later, a sustainable management model. The group is governed
by
Sustainability standards such as the Rainforest Alliance (2007) and RSPO
(2010), and has established a strategic environmental management system
with the
following objectives:
Convert
agribusiness and other logistics
operations to sustainable methods by using resources more efficiently
and
promoting the adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies
and industrial
processes. Specifically:
·
Zero use of chemical and dangerous agro
inputs
·
Considerably reduce the generation
of waste through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse activities,
as a
Circular Economy strategy
·
Ensure the protection and sustainable
management of the biodiversity present in our fields
·
Considerably increase the proportion
of renewable and clean energy in the set of energy sources
·
Raise awareness among workers and
other collaborators regarding care of the environment
In 2021,
multiple ongoing projects highlight
how we are achieving our objectives to meet our carbon reduction
commitment. These
include:
·
Elogia Logistical Solutions
(previously named Elogia Soluciones Logisticast), a DAABON Group company specializing
in cargo
transportation, has recently acquired a fleet of 50 eco-efficient
gas-powered
trucks, which considerably reduce polluting emissions, including carbon
emissions
Tequendama and Voltaje Empresarial received recognition from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, as well as the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Magdalena de Negocios Verdes, in the category of Carbon Markets, for their vital role in conserving the environment as natural capital for development of the territory and more sustainable economic reactivation
Palma & Trabajo formulated the Climate Change Mitigation Project to optimize the wastewater treatment system (for reuse) of the Extraction Plant, which will allow us to capture carbon emissions and take advantage of biogas as a source of renewable energy
Within the framework of our Circular Economy strategy, the Program for the Management and recycling of used cooking oil was created, which allows a responsible closure of the life cycle of palm oil, in mutual agreement with the Association of Recyclers of the city, the Environmental Authority and Authorized Waste Managers. This program includes actions for proper management, collection, transportation and final use of used cooking oil, such as transformation of used cooking oil into biofuels. This translates into economic, energy, environmental and social benefits, thus promoting the participation of different public and private actors.