PROFILE-Euro Company - GREEN BROWN BLUE

SUPPLY CHAIN PROFILES

Processor/Packer

Name: Euro Company srl Benefit Corporation
Location: Russi, Italy
Founded in: 1979

Riccardo Astolfi
Future Foods

Claudio Miserocchi
Procurement specialist

EURO COMPANY IS AN ITALIAN COMPANY that produces, selects, processes, packs and markets nuts and dried fruits. The objective of Euro Company is to propose a new way of living and consuming food in a more ethical and sustainable way. Their main products are packaged, ready to eat nuts and dried fruit. A few years ago they started a new project, called “fermentini,” which refers to fermentation of dried fruit (mainly almonds and cashews ) to obtain a fresh, live, fermented product.

About Agrobiodiversity

EURO COMPANY IS OPENLY COMMITTED to reducing the processing of its raw material to the minimum possible, in order to guarantee that it can bring to market the best nuts and dried fruit. The company has been investing in renewable energies, waste reduction and the development of more sustainable packaging to safeguard the planet. 100% of the electricity they use is obtained from certified renewable sources, some of which is produced directly by its offices, that are partially covered by photovoltaic panels. The company also reduced the weight of its packaging of 10% and eliminated 24 tonnes of packaging waste in the last 2 years alone. They decided to adhere to the UN 2030 Agenda, signed by 193 Member States, and promote its 17 common goals for Sustainable Development.

Together with requiring organic certification for most of their ingredients, the company supports and invites its suppliers to diversify their crops in the field to gain positive impacts that will reverberate all along the supply chain. They carefully choose their suppliers to be sure that their farming practices are biodiversity-friendly and they offer a premium price to support these decisions.

Business Model

IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE TO THEIR SUPPLIERS a dignified existence while ensuring the best possible product for their consumers, Euro Company strongly believes in lasting relationships with all the actors of their supply chain, with a particular focus on the Italian market. As a policy, in fact, Euro Company is shifting to closer raw material origins whenever possible, in order to reduce the carbon footprint of its products and support local economies. So while supplying as much as they can from Italy, they also import raw ingredients from South America, the Middle East, and North Africa.

With Italian producers, the company is developing a sustainable and short supply chain for walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, mulberry and other dried fruits. In the case of tropical fruits, like mango, pineapple and cashews, Euro Company has chosen partners that share the same values of the company in the producing countries, and it developed direct, strong and long-term relationships. Building those kinds of relationships takes time, which could be considered another key factor in building a sustainable supply chain.

Euro Company’s concept of a partnership rests on 4 pillars: direct relationships with producers, paying a fair price, preferring long term relationships, that could also lead to projects to support to local communities. Taking as an example the walnut market, Euro Company buys around 40 tons/year of Italian walnuts, with a price to the farmer of 4,5 €/kg, much higher than the global market price. This is made possible due to a dedicated commercial project. The company is also very active in promoting healthy lifestyles in their target customers and suppliers communities, by sponsoring and organizing events and educational projects.

Euro Company has a team of three people in the Purchasing Dept who buy products according to the company’s policy and requirements, which involve ethical and quality aspects. The information they gather includes:
– Country of origin
– Product specification (variety, grades)
– Food safety aspects,
– suppliers’ code of conduct
– Respect for the planet and for the workers.

All the suppliers are periodically required to fill in a questionnaire about their practices, the status of their crops, and production and the compliance with Euro Company’s requirements. Claudio, the Procurement Specialist, flies periodically to the suppliers’ fields to control in person and assess the quality of the raw material. He visits the suppliers together with Riccardo, who controls compliance to the code of conduct. Euro Company preferably sources directly from producers, but in the case when a producer is not equipped to do the post-harvest drying, processing, or selection, there must be another company that serves as intermediary and pre-processor.