Spinneys to increase UAE produce in eco move

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Spinneys to increase UAE produce in eco move Supermarket chain Spinneys is going local in its pursuit of more sustainably produced products. And the firm says that by the end of this year, all of the agricultural food it sells in the UAE will be environmentally friendly and free of preservatives. Speaking at the launch of a partnership with Global Gap, a non-profit organisation for good agriculture practises, Jannie Holtzhausen, CEO of Spinneys Dubai, said: “Over the years we have developed our sourcing strategy to support farmers who produce sustainable food which is safe for consumption and the environment and this partnership confirms our commitment to sustainability.” The partnership will enable Spinneys to bring a large range of certified sustainably sourced fruits and vegetables from across the globe, as well as products sourced from UAE farmers. “With the change in season, we are now producing 7.5 per cent of our vegetables from the UAE and hope to increase that number in the future,” Holtzhausen said. Currently, 50 per cent of agricultural food sold at Spinneys globally comes from safe and sustainable sources, and the supermarket aims to almost double that figure. “We aim that 90 per cent of the fruits and vegetables in our stores will be from certified sustainable sources by 2017, and 100 per cent in the UAE by the end of this year,” said Holtzhausen. A recently built Dhs100 million greenhouse in Al Ain will produce agricultural goods based completely on GlobalGAP standards for Spinneys. Currently, Spinneys sources only GlobalGAP-certified fruits and vegetables from the UAE, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Kenya, Chile and Europe. In 2016, they will expand their list to include producers from other countries, including Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia and the US. mahak@7days.ae Read the original story at: Spinneys to increase UAE produce in eco move