- 2024-07-28
- Unimarc
Farmers' Day: Partnership Between Unimarc and INDAP Enables Over 50 Small Farmers to Sell Their Produce in the Supermarket Chain
On the occasion of the Day of Farmers, Unimarc and INDAP highlight their ongoing support for small farmers through a partnership that began in 2012 and is renewed annually. This collaborative effort has allowed local farmers to position their fruits and vegetables in Unimarc supermarkets, achieving significant growth in their businesses. In 2023, Unimarc's purchases from INDAP farmers amounted to 1,253 million pesos.
The agreement aims to promote the development of small local farmers by positioning their products in a national supermarket chain. Additionally, the farmers have received support through investments, technical advice, and training in safety and good agricultural practices.
Lionel Gubler, Unimarc's Format Manager, stated, "Over the years, the agreement with INDAP has expanded its coverage, gaining greater relevance and generating more impact, becoming a clear example of creating shared value. The initiative has allowed us to support local producers while providing fresh, quality, and reasonably priced products to our customers."
Most of the producers who started with the initial agreement have remained, and those who have left did so primarily because they reached a larger scale. Today, 51 farmers sell their vegetables in Unimarc stores. One of them is Oriel Llanquinao from Temuco, who cultivates Swiss chard, basil, and cilantro.
"This opportunity has been a great support for all the farmers in the area, as it allows us to generate more through our businesses and focus on the quality of our production. Having sales with this level of mass distribution is a great privilege for us," appreciates Oriel.
INDAP and Unimarc continue to seek new collaboration opportunities and are exploring the incorporation of processed products from small farmers into the 100% Nuestro program, an initiative that supports the development of local producers.
In this regard, the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, stated, "I positively value the joint collaboration agreement because it not only opens new sales channels for many producers across the country under preferential conditions but also trains and enables them to access these demanding markets".