Galician canned tuna producer Grupo Calvo is working with the regional Ministry of Labor and Welfare to promote responsible management models and boost Galician companies’ competitiveness.?
Under Galicia’s Strategic Plan for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for 2012-14, the company this week signed an agreement to join the Ministry’s Business Representative Group aimed at positioning local large companies and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) as a benchmark in CSR.
Supported by the European Commission and European Social Fund, Calvo will take the role of project mentor, encouraging local SMEs to participate in CSR practices. Calvo’s active participation in business representative group meetings will encourage knowledge transfer, exchange of experiences, development tools and practical applications related to CSR.
“For Grupo Calvo it is very satisfying to form part of this initiative, contributing our national and international experience of CSR practices to improve the positioning of Galician companies in the global market through innovative actions, besides generating value for the company, involving a contribution to improving the quality of life for our employees and clients and developing our social, economic and environmental surroundings,” said Marta Calvo, purchasing director.
In another announcement this week, Calvo joined Makro Cash & Carry and the Spanish Federation of Hotels to support the NGO humanitarian campaign Action against Hunger.
Aiming to combat child malnutrition, Calvo will sponsor Spanish chef Mario Sandoval in recruiting Restaurants against Hunger to create dishes or menus from which part of the proceeds will go to the NGO. Participating restaurants are invited to register by 31 July for actions to take place between 15 September and 15 November.
Last year’s Restaurants against Hunger campaign involved 489 Spanish restaurants in raising EUR 100,000 (USD 123,000), equivalent to 2,500 nutritional treatments. The initiative was awarded “Gourmet Event of the Year” by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and “NGO-Business Collaboration Initiative” by the Spanish Association of Fundraising.
“This cause, saving the lives of malnourished children, touched our heart from the start. Consumers have nothing to lose, they can only win,” said Eva Cuetos, consumer marketing manager for Calvo.
Calvo reported a 15.1 percent increase in turnover to EUR 566.2 million (USD 702 million) in 2011, taking gross operating profit to EUR 41.8 million (USD 51.8 million), up 3.3 percent from 2010. The company registers annual sales of more than 900 million cans with more than 500 million consumers in more than 70 countries. In addition to its leading position in the domestic market, it has a strong presence in Brazil and Italy under brand names Calvo, Gomes da Costa and Nostromo.
