Local integration

Making a commitment to the local communities in which our plants and offices are located.

In conformity with the policy of moving closer to society, and with the aims, in the area of Corporate Responsibility, of encouraging good eating habits among children, the Italian subsidiary initiated in 2009 activities in neighboring schools. The project took the name: "Il frantoio delle storie" ("The olive oil mill of the stories"). It is intended for primary school pupils in Piamonte, Toscana, Umbría and Campania, and has the aim of imparting a greater awareness, among the teachers, the children and their families, about education in nutrition and in good habits.

Project results 2009-2010

• 543 primary schools were contacted.
• 91% of the schools stated that they were very interested in the project.
• 805 teachers, almost 20.000 pupils and about 58.000 relatives took part.

In 2008, SOS Group joined the initiative promoted by the Council on Immigration and Citizenship of the Community of Valencia and led by the Foundation for Solidarity and Voluntary Work (Fundar) to set in motion in the Community the corporate voluntary work project ENGAGE, through companies which try to encourage the voluntary participation of their employees. From the three projects suggested, the Organization chose to participate in the program of work orientation in Secondary Schools. From that moment, the team of two volunteers from the Algemesí factory, with the support of another volunteer working from Madrid, began to work for the success of the project that was to be completed during the academic year 2008-2009. The program is aimed at students of fifteen and sixteen from the Vicente Ferrer Secondary School in Algemesí, who have to make decisions about their educational and professional futures but have insufficient information to do so.

Innovation

Developing the ability to innovate in order to meet the requirements of markets that grow daily larger and more demanding, basing our action on the principles informing the Mediterranean diet.

In 2009, SOS Group concentrated on five lines of innovation and research:

» Research into new oils.
» Research intended to prove scientifically the intrinsic benefits of the products developed.
» Efficient use of the by-products of the Organization's processes.
» Development of new healthy foods.
» Development of new techniques in laboratory analysis.

The Organization is working on the ALANDSALUD project, set in motion by its Research and Development Department in collaboration with other companies in the Spanish agro-alimentary sector, with which it hopes to develop a series of specific foods for the different segments of the population, providing personalized nutritional solutions for each. The project focuses on population groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women or children, who have specific nutritional needs.

In 2007, as part of this project, a boiler was installed in the factory at Andújar (Jaén), using as fuel the sunflower husks obtained as a by-product of the grinding process. Also in the Andújar (Jaén) factory, in 2009, three boilers were installed using glycerine-natural gas, in the proportion of 80%-20%, as fuel to produce steam. Glycerine is a by-product of the process to obtain biodiesel, which is considered to be bio-mass and to result in energy-saving. These actions succeeded in reducing CO2 emissions and the consumption of fossil fuels by using a bio-fuel to produce thermal energy.

Improved positioning in new issues of public concern

Commitment to work in those areas relating to food production and sustainable development that are of growing concern to the public at large.

In 2009 the program focused its attention on the drawing up of new legislation in Spain concerning subjects related to the social commitment, and on what was expected from the summit conference of the United Nations in Copenhagen, namely, a definite impact on the way to undertake sustainable development.

SOS Group joined the more than 950 international companies that signed the Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change, presented during the aforementioned United Nations summit conference on climate change.

Integrity and transparency

Convert the company into a byword in good corporate governance practice.

Since September 2008 Grupo SOS was listed on the FTSE4Good IBEX, the index of companies meeting good standards of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

In October, 2009, the Organization presented its fifth COP Report, which may be consulted on the website of the Spanish Network of the Global Compact. In May, 2009, the Spanish arm of the United Nations' Global Compact published the program of sensitization and environmental management that is in use in our Organization on its website, as an example of good progressive practice in the observance of Principle no.8 (the development of initiatives to promote more environmental responsibility).