As market leader in fruit and vegetable sales on the island, SPAR Gran Canaria maintains its commitment to providing the best quality local products. The constant renewal of certificates and agreements with local farmers allows SPAR Gran Canaria to facilitate this commitment.

Banana ripening process  

SPAR Gran Canaria sells approximately 2 million kilos of Canarian bananas per year and completely controls the ripening process. The bananas are purchased directly from local farmers. The process of banana ripening has been certified by the independent agri-food certification audit Agrocolor, ensuring that the fruit reaches all customers in the best conditions of flavour, quality, and freshness, in compliance with the food safety requirements.   

After completing the ripening process, the bananas are stored, transported and distributed in returnable boxes, which ensures that they reach the point of sale while maintaining its high quality intact. The returnable boxes further minimise possible damage, reduce the use of packaging and facilitate optimal ventilation, achieving more efficient and homogeneous ripening resulting in an annual food waste reduction of 10 tonnes.   

Purchase of Reineta apples   

SPAR Gran Canaria also renewed the agreement with seven Valleseco farmers for a third consecutive year to sell the Reineta apple in SPAR Supermarkets. The agreement, supported by the Government of the Canary Islands, includes one more farmer than in the previous two years. This guarantees a distribution of between 12 and 14 tonnes of locally grown Reineta apples.   

The renewal of this agreement ensures that produce is marketed at a fair price and covers production costs of growers with additional support to farmers including personalised advice from the technical team and product marketing instore. Maintaining the same dynamic as last year, SPAR Gran Canaria provides farmers with its infrastructure in Mercalaspalmas so that a larger quantity of apples can be stored.   

Source: SPAR Gran Canaria 

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About SPAR Spain

SPAR Spain was founded in 1959 when a group of wholesalers who wished to join an international organisation came together. As a result, the brand became the first voluntary trading chain to be established in Spain, having been granted a license by SPAR International. Together, 13 regional SPAR wholesalers actively continue the expansion of the brand across the country.