FOOD , AGRICULTURE & WATER
VITACRESS CLOSE TO THE SOIL
LUÍS MESQUITA DIAS CEO , Vitacress
Vitacress Portugal is a vertically integrated agri-food business which was first established in 1982 and today employees some 280 people . The core business is the growing , processing and marketing of baby leaf salads , watercress , herbs and other specialty vegetables , serving both the national and European markets . Operations are located near Odemira , Portugal in an area which not only claims to be the single largest territorial municipality in Europe at some 1720 km2 , but also has one of the of the lowest residential population densities in Portugal with just 27,000 people . The local economic activity is heavily dependent on a mix of agriculture and rural tourism , the latter of which draws in several thousand tourists specifically looking to experience this remote , but ecologically rich area of Portugal . Our nominated “ Quinta do Azenha ” located on the South-West Atlantic coastline of Portugal has applied to a specific accreditation of a particularly demanding international chain of restaurants and has received it in view of the extremely high quality of our operations .
Azenha do Mar currently farms some 130 ha of light sandy soils and includes 1km stretch of this pristine coastline between the land marks of Praia D ’ Amalia and the village of Azenha do Mar . We grow up 19 types of leaf which collectively give rise to some 3500 tons of produce per annum , with the big five being red lettuce , green lettuce , spinach , wild rocket and coriander . Our case study proposed to the referred chain is partly shared here to illustrate our ways of working . We believe our shared values of Ethical , Environmental & Economic , should not come with a price tag for the end user , but instead , be built on one of trust , stewardship and responsible farming . We recognize that “ sustainability ” will cost business more but to produce sustainably in the long term , there must
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