Supermarket group, Woolworths, has applauded the farm sustainability work of Victoria's Cobram Estate Olives, which has slashed water consumption and fertiliser use in its olive production and processing systems.
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At the big retailer's annual Supplier of the Year Awards in Sydney the olive oil and olive leaf tea producer was recognised for best practice and innovation in sustainability, winning Woolworths' Better Tomorrow Award.
Cobram Estate's proprietary integrated olive oil production system Oliv.iQ was highlighted as a best-in-class sustainability initiative, producing oil using 37 per cent less water than industry best practice.
It also cut phosphorus fertiliser use in its northern Victorian orchards by 83pc and nitrogen fertiliser by 61pc compared to the industry average.
The business has reduced waste and repurposed the materials left over in its production process, too, with just 0.5pc of its processing byproduct going to landfill.
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Cobram Estate has also set aside 500 hectares of land for native vegetation regrowth and conservation, and is now carbon positive, capturing more carbon than it emits to grow, process, and distribute its extra virgin olive oil.
"Cobram Estate is a shining beacon for the level of sustainable transformation that's already possible today," said Woolworths chief commercial officer, Paul Harker.
"Customers are counting on brands to make the products they buy better for the planet and our collective future, and we're thrilled to see this well-loved Australian company walking the walk."
He described Cobram Estate as role modelling the path to greener land management, agriculture and production.
The company's sustainability manager, Justin Pilgrim, said the business actively supported Woolworths' commitments to a net zero carbon emissions future, using regenerative farming practices to capture more carbon than it emitted in the process of producing healthy, award winning olive oil.
Cobram Estate Olives, which also has operations in the US, sells products under the Cobram Estate, Red Island, Wellgrove, Stone and Grove and Modern Olive brands.
The Woolworths awards have recognised excellence across the thousands of suppliers the supermarket partners with.
Other Woolies winners
Other agribusinesses to collect accolades included Fruit and Vegetable Supplier of the Year, Perfection Fresh; Victorian poultry products processor, the Northern Poultry and Meat Supplies Food Group, which won the Woolworths Food Company Supplier of the Year title, and Melbourne artisan pasta products maker Lello which emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic as Small Supplier of the Year.
Lello, owned and operated by Leonardo and Linda Gelsomino expanded its wholesale business after their Italian restaurant was forced to close during lockdowns.
After taking part in a trial at a Woolworths' supermarket on Sydney's North Shore their pasta sauce is now available in a number of stores across the country.
The Overall Supplier of the Year title went to Reckitt Hygiene, in recognition of its sustained effort to meet increased consumer demand for hygiene products and its purpose-led community initiatives.
Its recent Glen 20 brand partnered with Meals on Wheels to donate 100,000 cans of Glen 20 to vulnerable Australians during the pandemic.
The company also took out the Everyday Needs category at the awards.
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Andrew Marshall
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
