FIAS PROJECT: EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Under the Program Empleaverde by the Biodiversity Foundation, this year 2014 the first edition of the formative born FIAS Project, which aims to promote increased knowledge, skills and qualifications of the food workers throughout its supply chain on sustainability concepts and eco-innovation focused on the food industry.

The activities of FIAS are directed to train employees in food subsectors transformation fisheries, vegetables, and meat products from different Spanish regions, techniques for environmental efficiency, to improve the utilization of the resources used in the manufacture of their products and reduce the environmental impact of their daily activities..

Thus, it has been pursued through this training that food empesas promote the rational use of resources and the use of products to reduce waste generation.

At the same time, FIAS intends to comply with the 2010 targets set by the European Union's waste management and recycling, as well as introducing concepts such as life cycle analysis (LCA), the calculation of the water footprint and the footprint carbon gases and control emissions, generation and environmental indicators of productive efficiency, etc..

Cash saving water and energy, coupled with rigorous enforcement of the law and the rational use of natural resources are the next targets to score in a sector that, as we saw in previous articles, generates 18% of emissions greenhouse gases and 31% of acidifying emissions, in addition to subtract 23% of natural and energy resources globally, it is imperative, therefore, not only for reasons of image, in our businesses establish a solid commitment Sustainability and Social responsibility.

The training activities of FIAS, in person and free character, include a training section 5 hrs, in three modules, an agenda of theoretical type develops in order to allow workers to develop and implement a Plan Cleaner Production in their companies. Plan which, in our opinion, should be fully integrated within the strategic objectives of our companies.

The expected this first edition of FIAS results, which is currently being developed, go through the training of 220 workers in the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia, Extremadura, Cantabria, Basque Country and La Rioja, plus realistic reduction targets between 5 to 30% in water and energy use at participating food industries.

  FIAS project is promoted by the AZTI Tecnalia Corporation, with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Biodiversity Foundation, the Empleaverde Programme and the European Social Fund. Subtract just trust in the success of this first meeting so that the initiative can be extended in the near future to all Spanish communities and make them look benefit the maximum number of Spanish agribusiness firms.

+info:

• FIAS project. Training for the Food Industry Sustainability:http://fias.azti.es/
• Pre-registration and contact: Meritxel González. Teléfono: 94 657 40 00. E-mail: meritxel.gonzalez@azti.es