We believe in the potential of our people and their talent as one of the three growth levers of our businesses –along with innovation and sustainability– as a clear competitive advantage. We focus on training and support so that they can reach their maximum potential, also in guaranteeing that the work environment in all our operations is safe, inclusive, healthy, productive, equitable and respectful of Human Rights, and that we are contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of our employees and their families.

How are we doing it?

• Alianza Team Leadership School: Training transformational leaders throughout our operations, including leaders from neighboring communities, hand in hand with our ally Origen Red de Liderazgo. To date, more than 422 leaders have been trained, 380 employees and 50 community leaders, strengthening the skills and confidence of the participants to achieve the objectives in an increasingly challenging context.

• Talent Agenda: It proposes a series of phases in which the employee is empowered by their process, making their development continuous, accompanied by their leader and talent during the cycle, based on three pillars: believe, create, and grow. We believe in the power of constant conversations and their ability to transform, so along with different initiatives specifically designed for each team as needed, we accompany our people in developing their maximum potential in an ongoing manner.

• Culture model: Anchored in the company’s priorities, it is what allows us to define the desired skills in our talent to continue nurturing a better tomorrow. At Alianza Team we are agile and innovative, optimistic and enterprising. We learn from change with resilience and with passion and courage, we generate value throughout our value chain. Also, we are safe, reliable and transparent, becoming the best allies to make a difference from our deep knowledge and commitment to positively impact the environment. These behaviors characterize our work style, achieving in recent years outstanding results in the work environment according to Great Place to Work, ranking #12 in Colombia and #5 for women.

• Benefits and well-being: Framed within the four pillars of well-being –social, physical, financial and emotional– we develop initiatives and programs that allow our people to strengthen trust, commitment and a sense of belonging to the organization. We highlight that in the last three years, we have granted nearly 4,000 requests for educational aid for employees and their children in Colombia and Mexico, and more than 105 requests for loans to purchase or remodel homes. Likewise, the health and safety strategy of our people has a specific pillar of well-being for comprehensive health, ensuring family benefits such as exclusive lactation spaces and paid leave for mothers and fathers; labor benefits such as emotional salary, flexible hours and work from home according to the profile of the roles; and specific benefits for employees related to educational and recreational activities to reduce work stress and team integration, sports activities and support programs for healthy habits and lifestyles, among others. In the past three years, our social return on investment for human capital (HC SROI) has increased, resulting in 3.3 for 2022. For more information, consult the most recent Sustainable Management Report.

Specific goals:

• Cover 100% of key positions with key talent.
• Optimize supply, relevance and use of assistance and benefits aimed at health, education and housing for employees.
• Structure the Human Development Strategy, identifying and aligning the different existing programs under a single umbrella.

Main allies with whom we work:

Origen Red de Liderazgo (Leadership Network)

Under the concept of We Are Allies, aware that together we can achieve more and better results, we work hand in hand with our communities and different allies, both in direct and indirect areas of influence, focused on four essential pillars for the creation of long-term shared value:

• Education and employability cycle
• Entrepreneurship
• Health, Education and Housing
• Food safety

We declare our commitments to be able to provide formal and informal education opportunities to our allies, accompany them in their employability cycle at the end of the educational stage, and support ventures close to our supply chain in the areas of influence of our operations.

How are we doing it?

• Strategic Alliances: Joining efforts with different allies throughout the supply chain, in each of the operations we have initiatives that generate social, environmental and economic impact for all participants. We know that working hand in hand with allies we achieve better results, which is why we join efforts with clients, suppliers, local authorities, Community Action Boards, social organizations, academia and autonomous corporations, among others, to be the best allies for our people, communities, supply chain and planet.

• Social Development Programs: In 2021, we formalized under an organizational program the different social development initiatives that were being led in the facilities under the 4 work fronts mentioned above. Today we have initiatives of local and national recognition such as Sabor Bajero in Barranquilla, Construyendo Futuro (Building Future) in Buga, and the strengthening of productive units in Bogotá among others, reaching close to 1500 people directly. For further details, consult the most recent Sustainable Management Report.

• Accompaniment of allies: The communities neighboring our operation are a priority for the organization, but we also understand that our community extends further and is made up of different allies, including our clients. The accompaniment that we provide to our clients in Chile, reaching more than 5,200 allied BredenMaster storekeepers, in Colombia through the program Elite Master, and the alliances with the Chambers of Commerce with whom we work hand in hand to promote their business in a comprehensive manner, as well as the monthly support that we provide to social organizations and foundations close to our operation centers for the care of vulnerable populations, allow a valuable community and business development for the generation of prosperity and shared value.

Specific goals:

• Consolidation of Social Programs in 100% of the facilities by 2025;
• Evaluate the impact created by Social Programs
• Expand the scope of initiatives throughout the supply chain, also reaching areas of indirect influence

Main allies with whom we work*:

SENA (National Learning Service of Colombia)

Sence (Chile)

ABACO (Association of Food Banks of Colombia)

Ana Restrepo del Corral Foundation (Col)

Comedor Santa Maria (MX)

Aldeas Infantiles SOS (MX)

*Click here to see the list of organizations we work with supporting food security through donations

Ensuring 100% of our agricultural chains through the Responsible Sourcing Strategy, comprehensively managing opportunities and risks, under a logic of transformation and contribution to food security and community well-being are the declared commitments to be the best allies for the development of our supply chain. The supply chains for raw materials of agricultural origin are our priority, not only because they represent the pareto of our supply in terms of expenditure, but also because we understand that the probability of materializing risks of various kinds related to the violation and non-compliance with our guidelines, corporate principles and values ​​is high. With our Responsible Sourcing Strategy –developed and implemented together with the Earthworm Foundation– we identify and work with our direct and indirect suppliers on those necessary aspects to ensure compliance with our principles, values ​​and corporate guidelines declared in the Alianza Team Policy Guidelines.

How are we doing it?

From the interdisciplinary committee of the Vice Presidency of Corporate Affairs, we ensure compliance with our principles and values ​​declared in the Policy Guidelines of Alianza Team and the commitments of the Responsible Sourcing Strategy that are led by the Sustainability team of the organization and implemented through the articulation of different areas of the organization.

With regard to the evolution of the work axes of the strategy: Ubuntu, Supplier Engagement and Development from origin, the progress is evaluated and reported along with the annual results to the management team, the presidency, the board of directors and the shareholders of the company.

• Monitoring and verification of the chain: As a fundamental part of the strategy, our UBUNTU system evaluates 45 topics in 8 different categories, covering critical environmental, social and governance aspects in agricultural chains such as NDPE commitments (no deforestation, no peat and no commercial exploitation), the application of the HCS/HCV methodology, compliance with Human Rights, labor practices, grievance mechanisms, remediation measures, monitoring and transparency among others. With traceability* to plantation we can not only know where our raw materials come from, but also understand under what social and environmental circumstances they were produced. To date, we have analyzed more than 81,050 hectares of palm crops between smallholders and farms, covering 70% of our corporate supply chain through satellite monitoring with Starling technology, marking a significant milestone in accelerating compliance with, among others, our commitment to no deforestation by 2030. The remaining 30% was covered starting the second quarter of 2023 for full monitoring. 

• Supplier management: With the results of Ubuntu, we build the Supplier Engagement Plan and the individual risk profile of each supplier, developing long-term work plans for each one, taking into account the particularities of the local context that allows us to achieve an impact based on their context and over a prolonged period of time.

• Development from origin: Seeking positive transformation throughout our chain together with strategic risk mitigation, we identify work opportunities together with different allies to strengthen performance in governance, environmental and social aspects. Among the most outstanding initiatives is the Escuela de Aliados (Ally School) as our corporate volunteer program, the Impact Assessment of B Corp (Sistema B Lab in Latin America) –which is also a tool endorsed by the United Nations to measure the contribution to the SDGs to all strategic suppliers, and various projects focused on agricultural good practices simultaneously with traceability and certification efforts. See the most recent Sustainable Management Report for more information.

• Food safety: The purpose of the strategic business groups of the organization is to strengthen the food security of hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect consumers of our products, ensuring at all times the four fundamental dimensions according to the FAO: physical availability of the products, access, use of the products and stability over time. Likewise, driven by our corporate commitment for health and nutrition, we are members in Colombia of the Alianza por la Nutrición Infantil (Infant Nutrition Alliance) where we work hand in hand with the Association of Food Banks of Colombia -ABACO, the National Business Association – ANDI Food Chamber and other allies for the promotion of knowledge based on scientific consensus to have more and better information necessary to strengthen habits and lifestyles related to food.

Specific goals:

• Achieve 100% traceability to the origin of agricultural raw materials to ensure zero deforestation and ESG alignment 
• Consolidate a robust grievance mechanism for all stakeholders that is well known, reliable and effective
• Implement at least one social and environmental transformation project with a landscape approach together with strategic allies
• Strengthen the food security of the vulnerable population through alliances with implementing organizations

Main allies with whom we work:

• Earthworm Foundation
• Solidaridad Network
• B Corp
• CECODES (Colombian chapter of the WBCSD)
• University of La Sabana, Los Andes and Uniminuto in Colombia
• Technological Institute of the Valley of Morelia and Institute of Technology and Superior Studies of Monterrey, Campus Morelia in Mexico
• University of Conception in Chile
• Bogota Chamber of Commerce
• PepsiCo

Climate change is one of the biggest threats that, as humanity, we are facing and the most relevant material issue for our organization. We know that our contribution to its adaptation and mitigation must be strong and timely. Several years ago we began a major review of the measurement and standardization of all our operations in environmental management, expecting to set ambitious corporate environmental goals soon, including an emissions reduction goal in line with the international standard of Science-Based Targets (SBTi)*. Likewise, we are part of the working groups in Colombia of the Ministry of Environment for Carbon Neutrality, developing skills that we are implementing throughout our operation to improve performance in this area.

We know that our environmental impacts are not limited solely to the emission of greenhouse gases though. We also have a series of guidelines and programs related to water, waste, materials, packaging and containers, and food loss and waste management, among others. We are committed to always going beyond legal compliance to make a difference in our operations, minimizing our direct environmental impact, and working with our partners to improve as much as possible the environmental performance throughout our supply chain. Likewise, we promote adaptation and mitigation actions to climate change and across all our businesses and brands, we lead the change to promote a more sustainable future through innovation and circularity. 

How are we doing it? 

• Climate Strategy: Under the same umbrella we are covering performance improvement and reduction of direct and indirect environmental impact related to water, emissions, waste, energy and climate governance. From our operations we have various programs and initiatives, some of which are worth highlighting, such as the progressive increase in the use of certified I-REC green energies for a corporate total of 35% and the promotion of internal and external environmental culture through Verde de Corazón and #SumarPorElPlaneta. We also have specific targets in intensity, for example in emissions to achieve an ecoindicator of 0.137tCO2/p.t by 2028 for Colombia, meaning a reduction of more than 12% from 2019. The recovery of condensates and the treatment of residual waters in all our operations, and the general optimization of our processes to reduce emissions –relying on the detailed mapping of our scopes 1, 2 and 3– together with the identification of physical and transition risks of climate change to continue deepening our analysis at the geographical level and extend them along our chain. We are also making progress in measuring the impact on the development of adaptation plans aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) along with understanding and planning for alignment with the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and applicable taxonomies. Finally, we are quantifying and designing work plans for food waste reduction in our production processes. Currently, approximately 60% of food waste and product returns are used for alternative uses, such as the soap-making process or our Manos Verdes program to transform used cooking oil into biofuel, among others.

• Packaging and materials management: We seek materials alternatives that ensure the safety and quality of our products, reducing the impacts of their use and promoting circularity through initiatives in the three pillars:

• Manos Verdes: In 2015 we began to implement the cycle closure program for our main product –used cooking oil (UCO)– through its collection together with other fatty waste both in industries and to the final consumer to allocate it to the production of biofuel. In this way, we not only avoid contamination of the soil and water resources due to the inadequate disposal of this waste, but we also avoid the CO2 emissions that would be generated with the combustion of traditional fossil fuels. This activity aligns with the Colombian taxonomy in the RC2 classification: collection and separate transportation of non-hazardous waste in the fraction segregated at source. To learn more about the program visit www.manosverdes.co.

Specific goals:

• Obtain Zero Waste certification in our facilities
• Carbon footprint neutralization in scope 1 and 2 at the latest by 2030
• Increase the scope of Manos Verdes, tripling the collection of UCO and other fatty waste compared to the result of 2020
• Incorporate the identification and analysis of risks and opportunities derived from the supply and demand of water, determining the areas exposed to water stress in our operations and in our supply chain

• Main allies with whom we work:

amazoniko

Gaia Environmental Services

CECODES (Colombian chapter of the WBCSD)

Post-consumer collective Vision 30|30 in Colombia

GIRO, PROREP and Resimple post-consumer collectives in Chile

Colombian Ministry of Environment

Private Competitiveness Council – Green Growth Committee

National Business Association ANDI – Environmental Committee

ABACO (Association of Food Banks of Colombia)

Global Compact

Lipids are a large group of nutrients. Together with Carbohydrates and Proteins they form the three main groups of macronutrients.

Among the lipids we find many nutrients such as: 

• Sterols (cholesterol, phytosterols)
• Fats (omega-6, omega-3, omega-9)
• Fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin E) 
• Waxes (Wax wax, fruit wax)
• Phospholipids
• Antioxidants

Lipids are an essential nutrient for human development. At the cellular level, our body is composed of* 60% Water, 15% Lipids, 18% Proteins and 6% Minerals. Some lipids, such as omega 3 and 6, fat-soluble vitamins, and antioxidants, are nutrients that the body cannot produce and must be supplied through the diet. Scientific evidence has shown that adequate levels of these lipids are related to the proper functioning of the immune system, cardiovascular system, metabolism, among others. Aquí

We could say that there are 3 large families of fats and a main representative of each family:

1. Saturated fats: MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides)

We find them mainly in: cheeses, coconut oil, meats, butter, palm oil, chocolate.

2. Monounsaturated Fats: Omega-9

They are mainly found in: olive oil, avocado, nuts.

3. Polyunsaturated Fats: Omega-3, Omega-6, DHA and EPA

Mainly in: fish, flaxseed oil, nuts, chia oil.

The name given to saturated fats has to do with their molecules. Saturated fats are found naturally in cheese, coconut, breast milk, and many other foods. Like any other nutrient, they should be consumed in moderation.

There are compounds that could contribute to the incorrect functioning of the body. One of them is trans fats. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommend the elimination of industrially produced trans fatty acids (TIFA-PI) to prevent non-communicable diseases.

On the other hand, scientific evidence has shown that the consumption of good fats such as monounsaturated (omega-9) and polyunsaturated (omega-3, DHA) are related to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. These good fats are found in foods such as avocado, fish, nuts, seeds, olives, etc.

We are interested in impacting the nutritional status of our direct and indirect consumers, which is why we are looking for:

1. Evaluate the nutritional profiles of the Colombian population and their state of health (COPEN studies which collect a wide range of information regarding health and lifestyle data with statistical significance and representativeness. The relationship between nutritional profiles and some non-communicable diseases (diabetes, overweight,etc) is evaluated in COPEN).
2. Educate the different actors that impact nutrition in the world: Food industries, Academia, Medical centers and associations, etc.
3. Innovate with products that increase the nutritional quality for humanity.
4. Build and disseminate knowledge on nutrition and health so that it can be used to positively impact people’s lives.

Specifically, PET as a packaging material offers very relevant benefits for food by ensuring the quality, safety, security and competitiveness of food products. Plastic as a material in itself is not bad; the bad thing is not to dispose of it correctly, increasing the possibility that it ends up in a river, sea or land improperly.

Yes, and it has been discarded at the moment for three main reasons that generate a greater environmental impact:

1. In Colombia, the reuse of oil containers for human consumption is legally prohibited.
2. The most suitable substitute material available to achieve returnability is glass, and due to its characteristics it would generate higher emissions in distribution due to its weight and volume together with the possibility of compromising the integrity of the container and safety for the consumer.

The process of washing the containers necessary to ensure their safety conditions and innocuousness required technology that is not widely available.

Visit our website www.alianzateam.com and click on Our Businesses section.

Let it cool, pour it into a plastic bottle, and when it is full, take it to the nearest Manos Verdes collection point. Visit www.manosverdes.co for more information about the movement of which you can also be a part. Join us!

Yes! We have the Alianza Team Integrity Line, available 24/7 to anyone anywhere in the world who would like to ask, report or denounce any situation that violates compliance with our Policy Guidelines. It is a completely anonymous channel that has a structured internal process that ensures the proper reception, review, investigation and response of each case without risk of retaliation or reprisals.

As an organization we are committed to the protection and conservation of forests, which are home to more than 70% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This is why we implemented traceability to origin, to verify our commitment to zero deforestation through Starling, with the support of Earthworm Foundation.

Through the periodic monitoring of alerts associated with deforestation and permanent work with our palm oil suppliers, we work to ensure zero deforestation in our agricultural supply chains by 2030.

It is a principle that seeks that producers manage the impacts of their products throughout their life cycle, including management after their sale and consumption. In the case of packaging, this means that producers are jointly responsible for the collection, recycling and disposal of packaging waste, guaranteeing the closure of the cycle.