Magazine | BBR - June 2022

GRANJAZUL Eggvolution at large!

PURATOS

The taste of innovation

TROUW NUTRITION

The future of food

EDITOR’S LETTER

June

2022

We are pleased to bring you this new issue of the Boston Business Review.

Our cover is graced by Olam Agri Peru, a global company working with farmers in Peru, creating a difference in the chia and quinoa crops.

Guest writer Gabriela Roca is Head of Corporate Affairs and Inclusion for Guatemala’s Corporación AG; in this issue, she shares with us her insight

about women in leadership positions within the company, generating excellent results.

Also in Guatemala, we learn about the Granjazul integral operation from pullet breeding to delivery of high-quality eggs and derivative products.

Thanks for reading and sharing The Boston Business Review!

Mateo Rafael Tablado, Editor in chief

for The Boston Business Review

Email: rafael.tablado@thebostonbr.com

WHO WE ARE

Managing Director

Jassen Pintado

Creative Director

Omar Rodríguez

Editor in Chief

Rafael Tablado

Editor for Brasil

Flavia Brancato

Translations

María Murgui

Finance Director

Christina Nichole

Social Media Director

Maria Elena Gastelum

Content Coordinator

Alicia Barrantes

Project Directors

Ana Macfarland

David Alarcon

Giuseppe Modenesi

Lucy Verde

Marcelo Modenesi

ONE STOP

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Lonsun’s production facilities are run by 215 workers and 45 technicians, adding a total of 32,000 ton yearly production capacity. More than 33% of Lonsun’s yearly output is exported globally.

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WORLD WIDE EXPERIENCE

A TOTAL COMMITMENT TO QUALITY PRODUCTS AND IMPECCABLE SERVICE

Those companies on the leadership and forefront in every sector don’t become such just by decree, but rather by years of hard work supporting every achievement; many of such efforts were driven by the goal of surpassing -not necessarilyown challenges and limitations, but also those shared by the context and even the times. Corporación AG showcases its leadership in inclusion not just by creating a related program, but by actually making it part of its day-to-day operation, hiring professionals that have become...

Women of

Written by

Gabriela Roca, Head of Corporate Affairs and

Sustainability at Corporación AG

Creative Direction Omar Rodríguez

I’mproud of belonging to Corporación

AG, where I’ve experienced family values becoming corporate values, which currently drive what we know as AG Culture.

AG Culture is made of different elements that may be very difficult to describe, but what I can tell is that it openly allows women participation by creating spaces where knowledge, experience and different perspectives are appreciated, turning teams with diversity into appraised teams.

I take part in a young executive team gathering industry knowledge, longterm vision, and awareness about the importance of decisions and its impact on our parties of interest. It’s a different kind of leadership and this is experienced from the brain.

During my professional career I’ve had the opportunity of meeting

different executive teams, some of them really good and tight, and others with a lot of improvement opportunities in leadership and capability among its members.

Nevertheless, since being hired by Corporación AG I was surprised by the interaction, openness and what I call “a world without individual ‘corporate policies’”, but rather an executive team whose members are motivated by common good, the group’s cause, and therefore, the company’s purpose.

The famous saying used more and more frequently, “tone at the top”, takes place; hence, the message to the rest of the organization is similar.

Openness, inclusion and opportunity are part of the AG Culture; though unwritten, such elements are experienced every day, becoming living stories that we can share.

I’d like to start with Carol Juárez’s

practices deployment supervision, creating routines for processes as management tech engineer. From this position, she had the opportunity to know the profiles, flat and rolling plants. This experience resulted in her promotion to Managing Tech story, who joined Corporación AG ten years ago as an engineer for control quality process in the wire drawing plant, two years later she took the challenge of moving to the Management Technology department, where she was appointed to best

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Chief. The steel mill got her attention and soon after a better engineering position opened, that’s how she became part of the production process. Nevertheless, the higher challenge she embraced two years later was the management position in the Metallic Grounds; “The Grounds”, as we know it, means a relevant process to us, the plant where everything begins. Carol leads more than 70 workers, the management of thousands of tons of metallic material in every variety. Carol became the first woman in charge of “The Grounds” in Corporación AG’s almost 70-year story, and she undoubtedly broke a paradigm. In this position, Carol reached record levels in different processes, summing it up all as “a great experience with many professional and individual accomplishments”.

She’s currently the Head of the Manufacturing Front in what we call the “Transformation Office”, which, as properly described, transforms our business.

From the manufacturing front, Carol supports initiatives aiming at bringing improvements into every facility, with the purpose of optimizing the company’s day-to-day operations. Undoubtedly, Carol’s experience in transforming, improving process management and leading efficient teams is highly relevant and praised within the staff at Corporación AG. She expresses that “AG is a place to work offering multiple learning opportunities with individuals sharing their knowledge and always offering their support.”

At Corporación AG, when we talk about quality, Luisa Yat is on our

“AG is a place to work offering multiple learning opportunities with individuals sharing their knowledge and always offering their support”

- Carol

Juárez, Head of Manufacturing Front

mind; Luisita, as we call her. Luisa is an industrial mechanical engineer, and she’s been with AG for more than ten years. She began as an engineer working in plant management technology. Years later, she was in charge of deployment for management tools in nine of Corporación AG distribution centers. Always on the lookout for more options, Luisa stepped forward to become a key developer and user in the “Everest” project, deploying the SAP-HANA system in the organization’s system. Afterwards, Luisa continued her

journey along processes, working directly in the LBA rolling plant, one of our main lines. Some time later she took on a new challenge joining our strategy team, taking over the deployment of a new project related to quality. As part of the development opportunities, she pushed herself to take part in a recruitment project -actually an internal promotion-, which resulted in her being named Quality Manager, where she is in charge of our products’ and processes’ quality, a very important role within the company and its clients.

Quality is such a difference-maker for AG, quality in steel products, specially in seismic territory such as ours, is relevant, it’s a very important responsibility to take on. Luisa takes part in different committees in which, in her managerial role, she shares decision-making with other managers and leadership positions, creating a difference in our business. In this role, Luisa has never felt that being a woman limits her role’s performance, on the contrary, she feels her capabilities are respected, listened to and considered for decision-making.

“I want to keep growing, contributing with value and learning new things, and keep myself opening new paths in my journey in this sector,” Luisa commented.

Another AG leader experiencing growth in her area, clearly achieving the kind of leadership that enables our organization to drive our culture is Patricia Morales, or just Paty. She

joined Corporación AG almost four years ago as Culture and Development Manager; her position began with a team of five professionals, still a very diverse group in a time in which the business went through a lot of changes and transformation. Paty took on this challenge with support from the organization’s leadership, precisely from top management, taking her career as a psychologist and her master’s in leadership and coaching to the service of Corporación AG from day one. Her leadership flourished, she learned about the steel business and how to manage company culture in an organization with almost 70 years, with very deep values as well as a need for change, in order to be prepared for the future.

Paty took on the challenge of transformation, not only culturewise, but also business-wise, her department went through a series of changes that allowed for a custommade vision design, centered on

“I want to keep growing, contributing with value and learning new things, and keep myself opening new paths in this sector”

- Luisa Yat, Quality Manager

Michi joined AG for an internship before graduating as an engineer in industrial technology. She was individual workers. She’s now in charge of the Human Resource Management department, with a team that is part of every business and with a strategic role, developing the systems and processes in human resources able to bring value to talent development, culture and workplace relationships for the corporation, including change management. To me, Paty symbolizes the assurance of inclusion at every level, due to her professionalism and also with her capacity to look beyond, her

sensibility of understanding that talent management is about individuals, many fathers, many mothers and entire families that are part of our dear Corporación AG.

Another inspirational story is the one about Michelle Sosa, Michi is a leader able to show that effort, persistence and focus in the right company brings results.

assigned to the electricity area in the steel mill, the heart of our business, as we call it. Michelle went through different areas, stepping up to every challenge learning and training for each task she was assigned. She didn’t know much, but she was always willing to learn. Even though at first glance she perceived not being a technical specialist meant an obstacle,

her insight was that the company culture at Corporación AG and the leadership’s teaching ability closes such gaps, she recalled.

Michelle competed for a Project Corporate Management position, and her skills not only earned her this position, but she also became the youngest manager in the corporation. She has many stories to tell, but

“In AG there’s a culture of respect which has allowed me to develop in a pleasant way without any hassles. Being a woman makes us focus more on details, enabling us to create a culture about respect, safety and display details as a result of our femininity”

- Michelle Sosa, Manager in Charge of Production Facility

she considers her biggest challenge was to co-manage the LBA -our rolling facility- reboosting project.

This was, after the setup of Parque Industrial Sidegua, the largest project driven by the corporation, and as such, there were hurdles to surpass: aligning domestic and foreign teams, language barriers, culture clashes and unexpected events such as the pandemic and the logistics and transportation meltdown. Seeing the rolling mill working the first steel billets with a new technique

has been one of the most gratifying experiences, being the result of her and her mates’ teamwork, focus and constant efforts. “This project was like obtaining approval for my thesis,” Michelle commented, huge challenges resulting in the best apprenticeship.

Michelle’s latest challenge was becoming Manager in Charge of Production Facility at the transmetal, mesh, cutting and folding plants, thus accomplishing one of her main goals by becoming part of productive processes.

“In AG there’s a respect culture which has allowed me to develop in a pleasant way without any hassles. Being a woman makes us focus more on details, enabling us to create a culture about respect, safety and display details as a result of our femininity.”

The company’s finances are a

very important subject, and in this area we rely on Fabiola López’s leadership. Fabi joined Corporación AG as Accounting Manager, applying her more than 15-year experience in finance and project management in different endeavors. In AG, Fabi’s leadership is focused on guaranteeing the operational continuity upon wide-scheme scenarios, such as

the pandemic. Fabiola applies her knowledge and, from upper management she has taken on changes in processes, accounting leadership in new businesses, support for sourcing and planning.

She expressed that Corporación AG is a place that enables her to grow professionally as well as taking her place as a mother and wife.

When Fabi is part of a group, we are certain that things are happening with accuracy, compliance and transparency.

Before coming to an end, though there are plenty of stories from our Women of Steel, I would like to acknowledge Adriana Menéndez’s story, who has a professional success journey in Corporación AG, a story at the heart of our processes. Adriana started in AG more than nine years ago as Engineer in Quality Process Management, she was also involved in the Steel Mill and Electric Welding facilities, learning the industrial processes, which she was attracted to from the beginning. Afterwards,

“Corporación AG enables me to grow professionally as well as taking my place as a mother and wife”

- Fabiola López, Financial Analyst

Adriana received the opportunity to be promoted to Chief of Quality Control in both facilities, as she began to experience leadership with staff reporting to her. She focused on slag quality improvement analysis and wire rod chemical composition analysis, focused on meeting clients’ requirements to achieve satisfactory results, among other factors. In 2016, the Steelworks facility manager handed her the opportunity to become Steel Mill Chief of Production, being the first woman taking control of this process, where she had the opportunity to operate the furnace, a process considered the heart of our production. One year later, she applied to the Fire-Resistant Goods and Recipients Direction, which she obtained. In this role, Adriana and her team are in charge of maintenance for fire-resistant molds and containers, essential elements for steelworks

and its journey. This year, she led a time-shortening optimization during container change, thus achieving savings in this process. Adriana’s leadership is evident, and, along with her team, they keep contributing and thinking about different ways to improve processes, living one of the company values: “We strive every day to become the best.” Adriana expresses her satisfaction and is thankful for the opportunity to work in a company such as Corporación AG, where, besides using her creativity, she can also contribute with ideas, teamwork and relying on an always supportive leadership from the company.

In Corporación AG there are women in leadership positions, I can’t mention all of them, nevertheless, we are all part of this Women of Steel squad. We are aware that there’s still a very

“Openness, inclusion and opportunity are part of the AG Culture; though unwritten, such elements are experienced every day, becoming living stories that we can share”

- Gabriela Roca, Head

of

Corporate

Affairs

and Sustainability at Corporación AG

wide gap in Guatemala about inclusion and opportunities. This makes me engage even more with the need to show that diversity is a “very good business”, because there’s diversity in the world, and it will become better as we can find in a table -in every table-, individuals with different opinions, different

perspectives, different life experience, working together for one common goal.

I hope the future awaiting us is a more open, inclusive world and having every woman reaching the ceiling they set themselves to reach. From Corporación AG we keep striving to “Transform the present to build the future we all dream about.”

Unlocking value for customers of Quinoa and Chia seeds while enabling farming communities to prosper sustainably

Produced by Jassen Pintado

Interviewee

Biswajeet Singh, General Manager for Olam Agri in Peru

Art Direction

Omar Rodríguez

Olam Agri is bringing transparency, traceability, and sustainability into Peruvian quinoa and chia supply chains, offering high quality and safe products to customers and differentiating their business by working directly with smallholder farmers to drive positive impact in communities and ecosystems.

When concepts such as traceability and sustainability pop into most companies’ output, it somehow brings the sense of being in step with the times. If such is the case, Olam

Agri has set the tone well ahead of most businesses by venturing into the food industry more than 30 years ago. Its dedication, focus, and understanding of high-growth markets along with its processing capabilities have turned the company into a leading agribusiness with a global footprint spread across more than 30 countries, managing multi-products supply chains, and guaranteeing food quality from farm to shelf.

“Our business is driven by our ambitious purpose to transform food, feed & fiber for a more sustainable and food-secure future”, says Biswajeet Singh, General Manager for Olam Agri in Peru.

OLAM AGRI IN PERU

The Olam group has been in Peru for more than 15 years, with Olam Agri appointing efforts into specialty grains such as quinoa and chia since 2017. Considering Peru’s geography and unbeatable microclimate diversity, which favors a great variety of superfoods to grow naturally and in abundance, it has become a very important origin for the company, representing limitless opportunities.

The Specialty Grains & Seeds platform of Olam Agri in Peru has become a leading supplier of processed quinoa grains and chia seeds for distributors, manufacturers, supermarkets, and brands globally.

The company’s processing plant in Lima is “AA” certified under BRC (British Retail Consortium) standards, boasting one of the best processing facilities with capability for both bulk and retail packaging.

Our business is driven by our purpose to transform food, feed & fiber for a more sustainable and food-secure future

- Biswajeet Singh, General Manager for Olam Agri in Peru

Olam Agri operates in Peru to the highest quality and food safety standards, ensuring the needs of end consumers. Besides BRC, other certifications for Olam Agri’s products and operations include HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), GMP (Good Manufacturing

Practice), Gluten-free, Kosher, Halal, and SMETA 4-Pillar (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit).

Follow this link to take a walkthrough quinoa processing at Olam Agri’s facility.

“We are the largest organic quinoa and chia supply chain partner in Peru, working directly with 2,700 smallholder farmers across all the quinoa and chia growing regions in the country”, the executive remarked.

SUPPLYING GLOBAL MARKETS WITH ORGANIC SUPERFOODS IN HIGH DEMAND

Products -and ingredients- such as quinoa and chia share attributes such as being plant-based with high nutritional value, high protein content, antioxidants, gluten-free, anti-inflammatory properties, and a high count of amino and omega acids, among other qualities which earn them a place into today’s current trends.

And as the market for plant-based protein and innovative alternatives grows, Olam Agri offers quinoa, chia, amaranth, and other ancient grains that are beyond the conventional protein offerings from peas, soy, and wheat.

“Our priority is to ensure that consumers receive safe and highquality products by managing the complete end-to-end supply chain for all varieties of quinoa and chia seeds”, Singh mentioned.

CHALLENGES TURNING INTO OPPORTUNITIES

About 75% to 80% of the quinoa production in the world is harvested between Bolivia and Peru. Just in Peru, around 100,000 tons of quinoa are produced annually, from which slightly more than half is exported, while the rest being consumed domestically.

Still, the industry offers large improvement opportunities, as intermediaries in the supply chain

“We are the largest organic quinoa and chia supply chain partner in Peru, working directly with 2,700 smallholder farmers across all the quinoa and chia growing regions in the country”

- Biswajeet Singh,

General Manager

for Olam Agri in Peru

led to a highly fragmented market representing a challenge to the companies wanting to bring more transparency, direct reachability, and correct value distribution within the supply chain and local farmers.

A company such as Olam Agri is able to establish a business model based on sustainability and digitalization by working directly and closely with farmers and bringing innovation and technology to improve food safety and quality conditions.

“The quinoa and chia industry has the potential of becoming one of the star products when it comes to the ‘good for the planet and good for people’ category”, said the executive.

IMPROVING FARMERS’ LIVELIHOODS THROUGH AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT

With a year-round presence on

the ground, Olam Agri ’s team of agronomists work hand in hand with farmers by training them on good agricultural practices according to international organic and trade requirements. Moreover, by providing them with personalized technical assistance through all stages of crop growth, farmers are able to adopt organic and regenerative practices while improving their yields and product quality.

Follow this link to watch Olam Agri’s work with its supply chain in Puno.

“We encourage the use of ancestral practices that have worked well for the fragile Andean lands, increasing farmers’ resilience to adverse climatic conditions”, Singh remarked.

DIGITAL RESOURCES

TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS AT EVERY LEVEL

Transparency and traceability are

powerful drivers for achieving sustainability in food value chains. This premise has led Olam Agri to invest significant efforts towards adopting digital technology to assure that their products have been grown, harvested, and processed responsibly.

One of the results of these efforts is the development of “OFIS” (Olam Farmer Information System) which

allows the company to collect data at the farmgate level through a userfriendly mobile application. This data is then analyzed on a web portal to identify individual farmers’ needs and provide them tailored resources to increase the impact of their sustainability efforts.

Another example is Olam Direct, a digital platform created

to disintermediate supply chains and expand Olam Agri’s reach. By connecting with farmers and empowering them to transact directly with the company, a more transparent sourcing process is ensured along with more value to such farmers for their crop.

AtSource is Olam’s revolutionary sustainability insights platform

for agricultural supply chains, purposefully created to demonstrate social and environmental impact and drive change for farmers, communities and ecosystems. With more than 100 metrics collected through OFIS, the company can identify improvement opportunities and create action plans in partnership with clients to realize change.

Follow this link to learn more about AtSource.

“AtSource provides the company and its clients with the ability to track the environmental and social impact of a product at each stage of its journey – from the farm through logistics and processing, and up to the customer’s factory door”, the executive explained.

THE ROLE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS PLAY

Throughout all years of operation in Peru, Olam Agri has not only partnered with local farmers but has also developed solid relationships and alliances with different actors in the supply chain, such as local governments, international agencies,

NGOs, and clients.

Recently, the company has engaged with USAID (United States Agency for International Development) in a cooperative agreement for a five-year project aimed at increasing yields, improving product quality, and achieving organic certification for 1,500 smallholder quinoa farmers in Peru. The project’s legacy will also include deploying a structured technical assistance system by building local extension services and creating manuals for organic production in Quechua, the Andean native language, which are currently non-existent.

“By aligning and collaborating with

We believe our business in Peru is set to address current trends through an end-to-end model that is transparent, sustainable, and traceable

- Biswajeet Singh, General Manager for Olam Agri in Peru

“We believe that the consciousness of the above will benefit the overall Agri and food sector in the long run.” the executive pointed out.

AFTERMATH OF THE PANDEMIC

Operations were obviously impacted experiencing challenges in supply chain, logistics, people, and other aspects, but most importantly this situation brought out some positive aspects as consumers became more aware of a healthy diet via plant-based food, genuine value for supply chains and climate change challenges, which are currently being widely discussed and addressed.

IMPROVING HEALTH & NUTRITION IN FARMING COMMUNITIES

Besides ongoing efforts on the field, working alongside farmers and their crops, Olam Agri also ventures into different social programs that positively benefit quinoa & chia farming communities in Peru.

One of its current nutrition programs is focused on fighting iron deficiency in children and breastfeeding women through a series of workshops and relevant stakeholders, we are able to scale our impact and achieve greater economic, social, and environmental results”, Singh mentioned.

promoting quinoa consumption due to its nutritional properties and antianemic potential.

STEPS FORWARD ON THE ROAD TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY

The plant-based food trend is here to stay and is expected to grow between 6 to 7% annually, as increased health and environmental consciousness continue to drive consumer desires and decisions. This will go along with consumers’ increasing expectations for more sustainably sourced products that are good for the people, farming communities, and the planet. “We strongly believe our business in Peru is set to address current trends through an end-to-end model that is 100% transparent, sustainable, and traceable from farm to the shelf”, Biswajeet Singh assured.

INDUSTRY: Food & Drink

CONTACT:

Vice President sanjeev.sharma@olamagri.com

General Manager biswajeet.singh@olamagri.com

Sustainability Head marisol.escobar@olamagri.com

Sales Manager

marjorie.nakama@olamagri.com

+51 (1) 716 0720

Los Eucaliptos Lote 36, Santa Genoveva, Lima, Perú

www.olamagri.com

Synonymous with the Future of Food

With technology at the forefront through research and development, Trouw Nutrition serves as a fundamental part of human nutrition: Animal nutrition

Most people going to the supermarket for grocery shopping don’t know about the production processes behind a chicken breast, an egg, or a pork chop. Few people know that animal nutrition – a rather unknown subject – is the primary means of support for animal protein production, with many decades in development.

Considering there will be 10 billion inhabitants in the world by 2050, we will need to produce 60% more food, it’s essential to do so in a sustainable way, along with better animal farming and welfare practices. A maltreated, malnourished, and sick animal will not produce. And an animal that does not produce is not profitable.

In the history of animal production, few companies have made a legacy for more than 90 years. One of them is Trouw Nutrition, a leader in animal nutrition. From Dutch origin, but global

quality and solutions, Trouw Nutrition is currently present in 105 countries, and run by 8,500 employees around

“Feeding the future” is their mission, displaying a great responsibility as a supplier to the animal protein industry.

WORLD LEADER IN ANIMAL NUTRITION

Based on decades of research and development around the world, Trouw Nutrition delivers solutions able to optimize animal performance and maximize revenue for feed manufacturers and animal protein

Trouw Nutrition’s solutions and services are designed to support customers through all their production challenges with a comprehensive approach to feeding and animal health. The company offers global solutions tailored to local clients’ conditions in a practical, sustainable, and cost-effective way.

HISTORY OF NUTRECO AND TROUW NUTRITION

Trouw Nutrition is the livestock division of Nutreco, focused on poultry, swine, and ruminant nutrition, as well as pets. It is now a privatelyowned company acquired along with its parent company in 2015 by SHV.

The long-term vision of Trouw Nutrition is the commitment to contribute to food production through the power of nutrition and collaboration with food and animal protein producers. The company is committed to transform the animal agriculture industry as well as the planet through a better use of resources.

With skilled specialists offering service and expertise throughout Latin America, the central office for Central and South America is located in Guatemala, along with a premix plant and a fully equipped laboratory. Throughout this region, Trouw

Nutrition’s solutions are available in 31countries.

THE SINGULARITY OF TROUW NUTRITION

Trouw Nutrition is unique due to its highly qualified and dedicated staff, always supporting clients through an integrated approach incorporating farm management, health, and nutrition. This is achieved through innovations that can be adapted to the specific needs of each customer, driven by experience, scientific and practical knowledge, besides research & development.

Victor Hugo Aguirre, Commercial Director for Central and South America at Trouw Nutrition, describes the company in three words: technology and animal nutrition. The Guatemalanborn Aguirre, who earned a degree in Agricultural Engineering and a Master’s in Marketing from the Monterrey Institute of Technology

“Trouw Nutrition’s portfolio of solutions and services creates the platform that allows us to provide our main product: technology and expertise”

- Victor Hugo Aguirre, Commercial Director for Central and South America at Trouw Nutrition

and Higher Education, he has 22 years of experience in the animal protein and feed industry within the specific areas of animal nutrition and commercialization. For Aguirre, “Trouw Nutrition’s portfolio of solutions and services creates the platform that allows us to provide our main product: technology and expertise.”

Trouw Nutrition sources from other divisions’ experience in animal production. This provides the know-how to understand the same challenges clients face, which is a unique advantage compared to other companies in the industry.

Facing the state of current world events – logistics problems, high raw material costs, lack of fertilizers and limited resources – Aguirre considers that, today more than ever, clients are willing to listen to what Trouw Nutrition has to offer.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

To reach these solutions, Trouw Nutrition carries out more than 70 research studies worldwide each year under two fundamental concepts: sustainability and quality. These concepts guarantee feeding of future generations, do not compromise current resources, and create solutions and processes that guarantee harmless food, apt for human consumption.

The basis is innovation. Just in 2021, more than $36.4 million were invested in R&D, strengthening its leadership in animal nutrition.

In addition to collaborating with more than 100 research institutions worldwide, the company has five research centers, 12 validation farms

around the world, and a laboratory known as Masterlab, a reference lab in Europe. In Guatemala the company also boasts a fully equipped laboratory for sample analysis to identify the specific needs of clients in order to design custom-made programs, services, and nutrition strategies.

THE THREE PILLARS

Trouw Nutrition has first-hand knowledge of the challenges that food producers in Latin America face. That’s why the company has developed solutions and practices that are easy to implement and tailored to the needs of each client, thus maximizing profitability. Today, Trouw Nutrition bases itself on three pillars of innovation where all R&D efforts are directed.

1. Precision nutrition: aimed at achieving the production and financial

goals of food and animal protein producers. NutriOpt is the digital platform that performs as a hub for all tools and services available. These range from the use of curves for the analysis of raw material and finished food products – based on 45 years of ingredient analysis – to predict nutritional levels of these ingredients and formulate more precise foods, to the use of prediction models for poultry and swine, or for specific feed concepts. An example of these is the Split-Feeding concept, which consists of providing two different feeds to laying hens according to the time of day, adjusting the diet to the nutritional requirements of the laying hen during its daily egg production cycle.

Within precision nutrition, the MaxCare concept brings all this global knowledge together with solutions and services in a customized premix that is adapted to the needs of each

2. Gut Health: brings together various programs such as salmonella control, antibiotic reduction, mineral optimization, and feed safety. The solutions used within the programs are incorporated into raw materials, complete feed or administered in drinking water, supporting grains and feed preservation, as well

as the gastrointestinal tract. In animal production, preserving the animal’s most important organ, the gastrointestinal tract, means maximizing the animal’s genetic potential.

3. Early life nutrition: includes feeds that are provided at the very first stages of an animal’s life to optimize growth and performance throughout their life and production, which include client and adjusted to fit market changes and requirements.

ChickCare, Milkiwean and Sprayfo.

If an animal starts off well, it performs well.

These three pillars include Selko feed additives, Intellibond hydroxy trace minerals, the specialized digital platform that encompasses decades of knowledge NutriOpt, and MaxCare, an application premix, as well as the Mycomaster equipment, able to identify mycotoxins, the toxic fungal

components appearing in grains.

Clients can benefit from all the company’s experience and its capacity to transfer the latest knowledge in animal nutrition through its solutions and services. Trouw Nutrition experts provide follow-up to support clients on their farm, as well as advice on nutritional strategies that make an impact along the production chain.

Finally, the quality of these solutions is guaranteed by the Nutrace system,

a traceability platform that includes ingredient evaluation, control and monitoring, risk management and follow-up starting at the supplying source of the ingredients.

SOCIAL ASPECT

Good animal nutrition is important for society, as it impacts human nutrition, more so with resources becoming increasingly scarce. The decisions made today are about guaranteeing the food supply for tomorrow. Additionally, Trouw Nutrition works within the company on important issues such as gender equality. According to Aguirre, currently, almost 40% of the labor force in Latin America in the administrative, technical and sales departments are

women. It is of great importance that the company takes this very seriously.

Not only in increasing the participation of women, but in selecting the best candidates.

Aguirre also spoke about social projects with the aim of providing opportunities to low-income individuals. In the well-known Dry Corridor in Guatemala, along with

other organizations, Trouw Nutrition developed the Plumas project in a low-income community, empowering women to become producers of a rich and affordable source of protein: eggs.

Sustainability is also another social issue. Trouw Nutrition has just completed installing solar panels at the premix plant in Guatemala. These solar panels produce 100% of

the electricity needed for premix production.

PROJECTIONS FOR THE COMPANY

Today there are challenges that Trouw Nutrition faces with determination. The world’s population continues to grow and that is why its mission remains feeding the future. To help produce 60% more food to feed the world, the company aims to combine strategy and vision, remaining a key driver for technology to improve efficiency and support the continued growth needed from the industry.

Generating an in Guatemala

“EGGVOLUTION”

An integral operation from breeding and nurturing pullets and hens to the delivery of an internationally certified high quality product to the end consumer, focused on being a sustainable enterprise, is what makes of Granjazul a leading, innovative company in Guatemala and the world

Produced by Jassen Pintado

Interviewee

José Manuel Segovia, CEO for Granjazul,

With participation from

• Carlos Borjes, Managing Director

• Roberto Prata, Commercial Director

• Durwin Orozco, Suppy Chain Director

• Mario Galindo, Planning Director

Creative Direction

Omar Rodríguez

For more than 50 years, Granjazul has contributed to the wellbeing and development of Guatemala by delivering the best nutritional solutions to every Guatemalan family, through the production and sale of eggs and egg derivatives with top worldwide quality.

Granjazul is part of a group of companies comprising an integrated business operation with a focus on sustainability and the goal to deliver the best products for the country. We began with INAVISA - Cintazul

Genética, where the dream began to come to life and where pullets are born. This company is currently in charge of breeding and relies on its own facilities. When pullets are born, these are moved to La Cría, the place where these are taken care of during 16 weeks, just before they begin to lay any eggs.

Granjazul operates from different

production plants and distribution centers around central and southern Guatemala. The company’s operations and facilities are certified under global quality and safety standards, including FSSC 22000 and HACCP since 2010.

Granjazul is also the first company in Guatemala to receive the Animal Welfare certification, endorsed by United Egg Producers, and also is Kosher-certified, both since 2020.

THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPED BY LONG TENURES IN THE COMPANY

Granjazul is led by José Manuel Segovia, better known as Mel Segovia, CEO for Granjazul, with more than 30 years in the company. Segovia graduated as an industrial engineer from the Rafael Landívar University, and afterwards earned a Master’s in Innovation from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Mel has been named to different boards of directors and taken part

Professionalization enables the process’ evolution, providing value to the company through specialized resources, clear strategies and efficiently executed plans

- José Manuel Segovia, CEO for Granjazul

to the company through specialized resources, creating clear strategies and efficiently accomplished plans,” Segovia commented.

A COMPLETE OPERATION GROWING ITS SEGMENT PORTFOLIO

“Professionalization enables the process’ evolution, providing value

Through time, Granjazul has grown its divisions and business units until this day, finally comprising a complete in startups for different services and products projects. Mel is supported by his key collaborators, who boast wide experience and postgraduate studies within business administration, finance, marketing, exports, industrial engineering and poultry enterprises, among other activities.

operation. Also, the company’s resources have been instrumental in new ventures, besides working around poultry and derivatives, mostly. The company’s main business units and divisions are:

• Egg Solutions. This division is in charge of supplying whole eggs and egg products to bakeries, patisseries and restaurants, among other businesses. This division is also available in El Salvador.

• The Plus division delivers whole eggs and egg products to supermarkets which are enriched with selenium, iron, A and D vitamins. The Plus line of products are delivered within Guatemala City.

• Liquid pasteurized eggs. This division offers whole eggs, egg whites and liquid yolks for the Solutions and Plus markets; this division was created in 2012.

FOR MYCOPLASMA CONTROL

(Tilvalosina*)

SUPERIOR TO OTHER ANTIBIOTICS

Quality.

(Guaranteed concentration and stability).

Safety.

(Environment, animals, human).

E ectiveness.

(Enhanced pharmacodynamics, cost-effective treatment).

*ECO Animal Health UK original research and development.

PRESENTATIONS:

Valosin 425 (Premix).

Valosin WSG (Water Soluble Granules).

• The Massive Channel serves small retailers through its own presale and distribution fleet.

• Livestock products compete in the market under the Cintazul brand of balanced nutrition, delivering special formulas for hens, other poultry, dairy cattle, livestock for feed, goats and pigs in their prebeginning, beginning and ending phases. This is the longest-running and most-experienced division in the company, running since 1953.

• Innovation is also part of Cintazul, which provides Pelleted Feed, its newest business units, which began operations in 2020. Cintazul’s balanced feed facility is certified under ISO 9001-2015 standards.

Granjazul relies on technology from production to delivery

- José Manuel Segovia, CEO for Granjazul

• With El Paraíso, running through more than 12 years now, the company displays a clear example of circular economy, offering 100% organic fertilizer. This division is proudly certified under the BCS OKO Garantie for its Enmienda Agrícola Premium product. El Paraíso also offers a quality product for the hands working on Guatemalan soil.

TECH-DRIVEN OPERATION OPTIMIZATION

Since its beginning, Granjazul has bet on tech investments which have resulted in a positive impact on production since the 1976 deployment

of an automated system for poultry production, through the egg grading system in operation in 1997, to the construction of specialized facilities for pullet breeding in 2015.

From laying hen genetics there’s tech support in incubation and automated vaccination. Productionwise, once a hen lays an

egg, the automation process won’t stop until after the egg has been packaged, not without going through a washing and sanitizing process and passing under UV light to obliterate any kind of bacterium in the shell. The system also has automatic detectors, able to evaluate and discard defective eggs with cracks and dirty shells.

Packaging is also automated, either for a 30-count carton or for transparent packaging en route to supermarkets.

The Cintazul facility also runs under a cutting-edge automation scheme, where there’s a productive process for every formula. For the organic fertilizer segment, El Paraíso acquired latestgeneration machinery for chicken manure composting, which reduces time.

“Granjazul relies on technology from pullet production to product delivery in its final destination,” the executive said.

OPEN TO INNOVATION

Besides different technologies implemented along productive processes, Granjazul has also brought analytics and business intelligence resources able to provide support and optimize decision-making in every area.

Every department involved in management processes counts with digitization and automation procedures which have resulted in reducing paper use.

COMMITTED SUPPLIERS AT EVERY LEVEL

Granjazul’s supply chain is comprised by local and international suppliers which share quality and punctuality as their main traits.

Procurement of quality corn and soybeans is essential for business, besides acquiring these goods from certified suppliers.

Granjazul works with Hendrix Genetics, guaranteeing the highest standards globally for the birds’ genetic development.

It must be noted that delivering every product in a timely fashion is essential to the wellbeing of assets such as hens, for which food and other requirements are vital.

Suppliers sign a social responsibility commitment, where they agree to comply with safety, occupational health and anti-corruption practices

- José

Manuel Segovia, CEO for Granjazul

Agreements established with suppliers are aligned with food safety and sustainability. This is guaranteed by the company’s supplier evaluation and tracking programs, where any gap in the quality and safety standards required by the company is detected and solutioned.

In 2021, Granjazul finished the setup of a project that focuses every part of its business into circular economy,

which has delivered progress on different fronts; among them, the creation of a compliance standard on behalf of suppliers.

“Suppliers sign a social responsibility commitment where they agree to comply with fair safety, occupational health and anti-corruption practices in their organization,” Segovia added.

Granjazul Plus

SUSTAINABILITY: AN INWARD AND OUTWARD COMMITMENT

Granjazul’s commitment to increase sustainability groups different aspects within the company:

• Waste recollection and sorting

• Wastewater treatment

• Savings in electricity and

water usage

• Sustainable procurement

• Loss recovery

• Alignment to UN’s Global Pact

• Corporate Social Responsibility

• Circular economy

Among the different initiatives on behalf of Granjazul with the purpose

of emphasizing a positive impact in its surrounding communities, the company has worked out different projects along with Old Surfer, an agency of change with a global vision connecting sustainability with business and consumers. This organization has taken part in internal and external projects, one of these was recognized in 2021 as one of the three best sustainability projects in Latin America in the health category,

through the Granjazul Plus egg product line, which is currently the second best project in the Health/ Human Development category, achieved in April 2022.

Granjazul is fully involved in the child malnutrition problem suffered in Guatemala, where -according to data provided by the UN- one of every two children under five years old suffers from malnutrition. Granjazul developed an enriched variety of egg to face this

problem: Granjazul PLUS.

In the city of Amatitlan, Granjazul is involved with a women’s soccer team, which became the first sustainable women’s team in Guatemala and Latin America, working along with nutritionists from the University of the Valley of Guatemala, which contributes to the team relying on a nutritional preparation of the same kind that male professional teams receive. It must be pointed out that this program extends to the players’ families and communities.

HUMAN RESOURCES: THE GRANJAZUL CULTURE

Goals set by Granjazul are related to the market, its surroundings and the needs and possibilities of these. The Granjazul culture was created from its founders’ values and from the company’s purpose. The commitment from stakeholders, leaders and staff, favors this culture.

The company has defined an

empowerment and self-managing culture, obtaining the best from a family-run business and a corporation.

BRIGHT LIGHTS AHEAD

In the face of a market in which costs increase drastically, Granjazul fulfills its commitment to everyday goals such as catering for its clients and strategic partners through the best possible service, striving to deliver the best results for stakeholders and partners, keeping the same, outstanding quality.

Polígono Morea Nor te, Calle C - Nº 2 31191 Beriáin, Navarra (Spain) • +34 948 368 301 contact@zucami com • • ww w.zucami com

“It’s about our clients’ satisfaction through service agreements aligned to a strategy transformed into facts, achieving world-class continual improvement in every stage of the supply chain,” finalized Mel Segovia, CEO for Granjazul.

FOUNDED: CONTACT: 1969 jsegovia@granjazul.com www.granjazul.com/#lahuev INDUSTRY: FOOD & DRINK

GROWING

WITH INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE REGION

Produced by Jassen Pintado

Interviewee

Fabio Di Giammarco, Presidente para LATAM en Puratos

Creative Direction Omar Rodríguez

Puratos’ organization and efforts in Latin America have provided its different territories with the necessary resources to grow and become the leader in its specialty

Since its creation over a century ago, Puratos has evolved from its initial father and son operation to become a worldwide giant, a leader in the food industry, specializing in bakery, patisserie, and chocolate. It is currently present in 81 countries with 65 production facilities and 93 innovation centers operated by more than 9,000 workers.

Puratos’ presence in Latin America began more than four decades ago, backed by a solid portfolio, enabling the company to become stronger in the region.

“When I joined Puratos I was fortunate to find a profitable and growing business”, declared Fabio Di Giammarco, President for LATAM at Puratos.

Manifesto 2022

CLEAR OBJECTIVES BEING ACCOMPLISHED

Di Giammarco has over three decades of career in the beverage and food industry. He was initially skilled in Communication, a very different field, but related to most industries in many ways. This fact was key to making clear every objective to be fulfilled by the company. He also completed some postgraduate studies and

update courses, among which an MBA stands out, as well as certifications as Member of the Board of Directors, thus contributing to innovation processes in small companies.

His experience in six different countries has also provided him with important learning knowledge and adaptation to different cultures.

“My greatest recognition is the profitable growth of companies and

When I joined Puratos I was fortunate to find a profitable and growing business

- Fabio Di Giammarco, President for LATAM at Puratos

people who manage to develop and improve thanks to good results”, the executive commented.

LEADERSHIP IN GASTRONOMIC SPECIALTIES

Puratos’ worldwide leadership spreads through three main divisions:

• Regarding Bakery, the company offers ingredients with an added

value, besides technologies that allow its customers to improve the quality, texture, and flavor of their bread offer.

• Its Patisserie portfolio includes vegetable creams, fruit filling, premixtures, and other products.

• Puratos offers distinguishable

Chocolate products within a sustainable operation alongside farmers from the producing countries. Moreover, Puratos supports the bakery, patisserie, and chocolate industries as it has the skills and technology to develop customized products worldwide. Its multichannel

strategy allows it to offer the best solutions to consumers, bakers, pastry chefs, chocolatiers, industries, and semi-industries that produce and commercialize bakery, patisserie, and chocolate products.

We seek to increase its positive impact at a global level through innovative food solutions that foster health and well-being, as well as for

companies, customers, people, and the planet to keep on progressing towards a promising future.

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

With innovation as a global hallmark, this feature joins virtually the entire process, from product development to the final taste, thus achieving unique results, which differentiates Puratos from the competition.

Puratos offers enhancers that provide a greater bread quality. Another renowned product is their patisserie premixtures, useful for making all types of puddings, cakes, and tarts, as well as their custard creams for millefeuille-like desserts.

The development of a vegetable creams portfolio (“vegetable origin”) came up from new consumption trends, besides a wider variety of sugar-free or sugar-reduced products, and adding more fruit.

Puratos also offers a great variety of

leaven and sourdough with different flavor profiles, besides a solid portfolio of enzyme modules that produce improved crunchiness, aroma, and freshness for its bread offer.

GROWING STRENGTH IN THE REGION

Under Di Giammarco’s leadership, Puratos has been subject to a reorganization in Latin America with four main geographical areas:

• Brazil

• Colombia

• Southern Cone

• North Latin America

Each one of these areas is run by leaders who make sure that principles such as encouraging dialog, sharing the best practices, and establishing a collaboration network with different countries continue being carried out. Geographic coverage has spread through important efforts such as distributors’ strengthening in Brazil, a significant investment in commercial resources in Central America̶, as well as a series of acquisitions projecting a profitable operation. This way, since December 2021 Puratos owns 100% of the shares of its operations in Colombia, Ecuador,

A great part of our investment is allocated towards developing the best solutions for our customers

-

Fabio Di Giammarco, President for LATAM at Puratos

“2021 was an important year regarding the execution of our strategy. Achieving our independence was an important step for the ambition of growth in the region”, highlighted Di Giammarco.

CLEAR STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE GOALS

Different key factors have allowed Puratos to grow and take control of its operations in Latin America.

by combining the latest digital technologies with artificial intelligence techniques.

Currently, the solutions the company offers are more and more aimed at providing products and ingredients enabling customers to offer healthy, sustainable, and differentiated products.

Regarding production, the whole region has been subject to important investments. The nine factories in Latin America have been modernized and the Dominican Republic, which were previously operated by local partners. Besides totally controlling the operation, the local structure has been increased more than twice over, thus establishing direct contact with customers.

Besides promoting innovation in all the countries, Puratos’ portfolio in the region has evolved according to the market trends found through Taste Tomorrow, the world’s largest ecosystem for understanding consumers, which monitors trends

and equipped with new technologies, among them the installation of automation mechanisms in different processes and the optimization of its supply chain network, making it possible to offer more products to more customers efficiently at a competitive price.

“A great part of our investment is allocated towards developing the best solutions for our customers”, the executive remarked.

SUSTAINABILITY AS A PRIORITY

Within the food industry, not only is Puratos a global leader in culinary specialties and desserts but it is also a leader in its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality, a goal set for 2025.

Among the efforts to achieve this goal the company has a priority on energy self-generation through solar panels in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Uruguay; the obtention of energy from renewable sources in Brazil and

Chile; the operation of a CO -free manufacturing plant also in Brazil; and the installation of sewage treatment in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Peru.

Regarding its value chain, Puratos created the Cacao-Trace program, which establishes different collaboration ties with cocoa farmers, thus allowing them to improve their offer and generate a greater value for

their business. For each kilogram of Belcolade Cacao-Trace that is sold, a fraction of the generated value goes back to the farmer, contributing to their business.

“We have been in this business for over one hundred years. We are determined to play an important role so it can go on for the next one hundred”, pointed out Di Giammarco.

We have been in this business for over one hundred years. We are determined to play an important role so it can go on for the next one hundred

- Fabio Di Giammarco, President for LATAM at Puratos

PROMOTING GROWTH

2022 has been an important year for Puratos, having seen the first steps towards a growth phase in the whole territory.

Particularly, the Southern Cone division is experiencing this growth rapidly, from which we could highlight the success of the operation in Chile and the current growth in Argentina, where Puratos products reach more customers thanks to an important distributors network and an aggressive development of new business.

“2022 means growth for Puratos and, especially, for our customers”, concluded Fabio Di Giammarco, President for LATAM at Puratos.

FOUNDED:

www.puratos.com FDiGiammarco@puratos.com INDUSTRY: