Our agroecological garden

In recent years, at Citromax SACI we have begun to incorporate concepts linked to the circular economy into our organizational culture, focusing mainly on the reduction and reuse of waste that would allow for other uses. Following this paradigm, work began from a holistic and sustainable perspective on a project for the selective collection of organic waste obtained in the kitchen of the Acheral Plant (Tucumán, Argentina).

This project would produce compost, which would later be used as a substrate in a traditional agro ecological garden on direct land of the company. This new compost further enriched the existing substrate, coming from our composting yards, where organic waste originating from the lemon production process is usually composted.

Thus, in 2021 we began to develop our own agro ecological garden in a local greenhouse, and obtained the first agro ecological vegetables destined to the kitchen of Finca Tunillas and Planta Acheral. Moreover, in 2022 we expanded the production of vegetables to a 200m2 open-air plot of land that had never been used for any crop, and we set out in the medium term to be able to supply 25% of the vegetables that are consumed in our kitchens throughout the year.

This project was carried out thanks to a strategic alliance of the Environment and Sustainability Department of ​​Citromax SACI with INTA Famaillá-Monteros Rural Extension Agency. The INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology) provided us with advice and support, and vegetable seeds for the two stages of the year, autumn-winter and spring-summer.

As a result of this alliance, since 2021 the realization of agroecological gardens in the private homes of our employees has also been promoted, having delivered more than 1.000 packs of different varieties of typical seeds since the beginning of the project to date. These seeds offered the possibility foreach home to have a greater availability of vegetables for family consumption, contributing to the circular economy of their homes.

In 2022, we decided to formalize these initiatives under the Sustainable Institutions Program, from which we seek alliances with organizations that share our values, to extend good practices and replicate the positive results in our area of ​​influence.

One of the first allied organizations was Centro Educativo Terapéutico de Concepción, where we led the implementation of inclusive agro ecological gardens, adapted to people with reduced mobility. We also set up a waste management system, separating plastic, cardboard-paper and metals for recycling; reducing the MSW and generating composting of organic waste originated in the kitchen of the institution. The first harvest of the compost obtained enriched the substrate of the inclusive gardens and is already bearing its first fruits!

At Citromax we aim to reach more institutions like these, which share our values ​​and our vision of sustainability and care for the environment, determined like us to promote change from within.