SISTERS: linking Brussels to Torre Pacheco

Sometimes, we, farmers members of PROEXPORT, feel that the EU is far away from us. Actually, it is quite a long way from a broccoli field in Torre Pacheco (Murcia-Spain) to Brussels, though if we can send a broccoli piece to there so that a Belgian enjoys a healthy dinner, I am sure we, together, could get Brussels a bit closer of Torre Pacheco.

When we are told to become more sustainable and resilient, or not to use this or that phytosanitary to avoid pest damages, or to stop packing our less than a kilogram products, but also to reduce food loss, we do not have other option than ask How are we going to do so?

SISTERS aims to provide some answers to our questions.

SISTERS‘ consortium is formed by 18 partners from 8 EU countries. There are small and medium enterprises, universities, research centres, retailers, etc, and we, growers, manufacturers, suppliers…, and all together with innovation, technology and knowledge are going to improve the food value chain in order to reduce food loss and waste.

PROEXPORT’s role in this project is to address some of the new challenges posed on farmers by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, such as to replace non-renewable source packaging materials by new renewable biobased ones. But first of all, farmers must be aware of this chance, so during our Annual General Assembly, the SISTERS project’s objectives were explained to everybody attending the event.

Over 200 people, farmers, academia, stakeholders, and policy makers had the opportunity of learning about the solutions strived by SISTERS. Moreover, in Madrid, from 4th to 6th of October, during the international fair FruitAttraction, PROEXPORT placed in its stand an information point, this time addressed to stakeholders and public in general, telling everyone how we are going to get new packaging material made from residues of the very crops we grow to feed people.