Sustainability
For Deoleo, sustainability is more than just a buzz word – it is the key to adding value to our brands, our society and our planet. To continue making quality products that delight consumers, we must work in ways that preserves the environment and support the people that make our business possible. Thinking and acting sustainably is the key to nurturing a healthier future.
Our sustainability manifesto: caring for what cares for you
Olive oil is integral to the lives of so many. Those who farm it, make it, sell it and consume it. As global stewards of this vital ingredient, we are committed to producing it responsibly. Expertly. In ways that protect livelihoods, promote good health and protect our planet.
Watch our video below to learn more about how we approach sustainability across our business.
Deoleo 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report
Our 2030 Nurturing Healthier Futures Strategy
Our sustainability strategy drives us to think smarter, work harder and lead by example.
Focusing on the issues most important to our business and stakeholders, it is how we place care for what cares for you at the centre of everything we do.
Our sustainability strategy represents a blueprint for how we will help lead the olive oil industry towards a better, more responsible future.
Select one of our four strategic pillars to find out more.
Growing together
Growing together
Our duty of care starts in the olive grove, where we work in partnership with farmers to develop sustainable practices and a secure supply chain that together help nurture responsible businesses, strengthen communities and build better futures for all.
Our ambition: By 2030, 100% of our top selling Extra Virgin Olive Oil brands in Spain and Italy to be certified by our Sustainability Protocol
In 2021, Deoleo technicians visited 3,387 hectares of farmland to share responsible, innovative agricultural practices while the number of mills we work with that have been certified sustainable increased by 15% (versus 2020). To further drive environmental protection, we finalised the groundwork for an olive grove biodiversity pilot project being run together with SEO Birdlife and select farmers.
Blending with love
Blending with love
Good olive oil is made with integrity. A single ingredient of the highest quality, expertly blended with the needs of consumers and the planet in mind. By collaborating, innovating and constantly striving to improve industry standards, we ensure every drop is made with care.
Our ambition: By 2030, improve olive oil quality standards throughout the value chain
During 2021, we invested in automating quality-control processes and enhancing transport controls to preserve the quality and safety of our products from manufacturing facility to retail store. We also laid the foundations for a blockchain pilot that will deliver end-to-end traceability. We focused on reducing waste to landfill – with around 88% of waste at our Alcolea, Spain site recycled – and incorporating more recycled materials into packaging. To minimise our operational footprint, we continued finding ways to avoid GHG emissions, harness energy-efficient technologies and reduce water consumption by just under 24% (versus 2020).
Caring for you
Caring for you
We want the best – for those who make our products and those who enjoy them. Healthy, balanced lives enhanced by Deoleo’s commitment of care. By communicating clearly and educating where we can, we enable everyone to make the best choices.
Our ambition: By 2030, reach 150 million people, educating them on the benefits and uses of olive oil.
Throughout 2021, we continued supporting research into the health benefits of olive oil. Notably, we launched a Nutrition and Sustainability Project to promote studies in countries with limited funding. To provide customers with increasingly accurate labelling, we have automated checking processes – from the information included to the quality of permanent, laser-marked labels. Internally, we have continued to prioritise employee health, sponsoring COVID-19 vaccinations for employees and their families in India. And, to drive increasingly inclusive workplaces, we signed an Equity Plan for our Spanish workforce, detailing our commitment to equal opportunities.
Responsible business
Responsible business
Underpinning everything we do is a dedication to being a responsible business and doing things in an honest and ethical manner. It’s how we ensure Deoleo continues to harness the caring power of olive oil for generations to come.
In 2021, we once again engaged Ecovadis to analyse our corporate social responsibility and sustainability efforts. We were proud to achieve Gold medal certification overall – and a score of 70 out of 100 for labour and human rights that places us in the top XX% of companies rated. To drive increasingly ethical operations, we updated our anti-corruption policy to include Deoleo subsidiaries and introduced a new policy for the selection, appointment and removal of Board of Director members to ensure representatives meet the needs of our Board and company.
Our 2021 sustainability achievements
0Ecovadis Gold medal
for the 2nd consecutive year
0%
Gender pay gap
0metric tons
of plastic waste removed from market
0farming families
engaged through the Sustainability Protocol
0% reduction
in Scope 1 and 2 emissions (versus 2020)
“Olive groves should respect the environment, with trees cultivated in the most respectful way possible to support local fauna and biodiversity. In our olive groves, we implement vegetation cover, creating soil that is rich in plants, to avoid erosion, to keep the soil fertile and support wildlife.”
– Enrique Gallego, Technical Director, Cerrogordo Cooperative
“I have been working in the mills for over 30 years. I was going to be a veterinarian; however, my family has some land, so I started to take care of it and in the process learned more about olive oil, what I like most is being among the olive trees, as well as being my own boss.”
– María José Campos, Secretary of the Governing Council, Nuestra Señora de Consolación de Doña Mencía Cooperative