Supporting Our Employees to become Our Food Suppliers

1. The conception of the idea

An initiative for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system linked to hospitality and catering services. The strategy of the Farmers-Employees Project is based on the recognition of the value chain of sustainable food systems. It recognizes the in-tertwine relationship between people, healthy communities and a healthy planet. The implementation designs based on the core of the European Commission’s agenda for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The production of food in the global community, its preparation, processing, packaging and transport are responsible for air, soil and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. They also have a major impact on biodiversity. Although the transition to sustainable food systems has begun in many sectors, food systems are still a key driver of climate change and environmental degradation. There is an urgent need to reduce dependence on pesticides and antimicrobials, reduce excess fertilizer use, increase the share of sustainable-organic agriculture, do more for animal we lf are andreverse the loss of biodiversity. Visitor-consumer expectations are evolving and bringing about significant changes in food choice. In the wake of pandemic COVID-19 and the economic down turn, the Farmers-Employees Project, featuring members of the extended PHAEA RESORTS employee family, is laying the ground work to deliver environmental, health and social benefits. To ensure that recovery from the crisis puts us on the path to sustainability.

2. Creating a functional, sustainable food chain in hospitality services

|The objectives of the Sustainable Food Production Project by the Group’s employee-producers are based on the need to reduce the environmental & climate footprint of the catering system. The aim is to enhance the reilience of the supply chain, protect food security against climate change and protect horizontally biodiversity. The Project seeks to pioneer a global transition towards hotel sustainability by adopting Farm to Fork practices. PHAEA RESORTS adopts and integrates the sustainable food production model into its operations. They set targets with the implementation of the European legislation 834/2007, for the use of authorised nutritional and plant protection for mutations, animal welfare, rational management to aquifers and protection of biodiversity. Through internal consultations, thematic training of producer employees on the minimum conditions for participation in the production process, they contribute to the formulation of effective hotel policies and support small-scale family farms.

3. Providing incentives for sustainable food processing practices and linking them to catering services

The Farmers-Employees project strategy seeks commitments from partner food processing companies (e.g.:mills,packing plants, packaging plants etc.) to reduce GHGe missions and reduce energy consumption by increasing energy efficiency. Communication with the workers-producers gives financial incentives for the production of sustainable food. At the same time, it plans to reduce packaging in line with the new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and reduce food waste. The project intends to pay particular attention to the achievement of the Green Deal targets, as well as the 2030 biodiversity strategy. It seeks to ensure a decent supplementary income that will enable the worker-producers to support their families and cope with all kinds of crises. The project strategy enhances the resilience of local food systems, create shorter supply chains for hotels and supports the reduction of dependence on long-distance transport.

4. Promoting sustainable food consumption and facilitating the transition to a healthy and sustainable diet

Current global food consumption patterns are unsustainable both in terms of consumer health and ecosystem health. The project’s strategy includes a continuous awareness of the need to transition to a plant-based diet containing less and better meat, more fruits and vegetables to reduce not only disease risks, but also the environmental impacts of the food system. It also incorporates on going information about the sustainability, authenticity and nutritional value of the products produced.

5. Reducing food loss and waste

Tackling food loss and waste is key to achieving sustainability. The Farmers-Employees Project strategy incorporates the recovery and redistribution of surplus food that would otherwise be discarded. Production planning explores food losses at the production stage and ways to precent them.