Friday, May 5, 2023 at 9:53 PM
Meknes – The Cosumar group is highlighting, on the occasion of the 15th edition of the International Agricultural Show in Morocco (SIAM), the importance of the sugar industry in Morocco’s food sovereignty.
Cosumar’s participation in SIAM, organized in Meknes from May 2 to 7, aims to demonstrate how the group contributes to the country’s food sovereignty and supports the sugar industry by highlighting its activities, innovations and commitments to sustainable development. , indicates the group in a press kit.
Since its creation in 1929, continues the same source, the group has become a leader in the production of white sugar in Morocco, while continuing to grow and modernize.
Today a major player in the Moroccan agri-food sector and a pillar of the competitiveness of the national sugar sector, the group reaffirms, at the same time, its commitment to its customers, farmers and partners, by ensuring that it meets its obligations in terms of market supply, safety, quality and preservation of natural resources.
In this press kit, the Group also highlights the strategic initiatives and projects implemented to strengthen its commitment to the Kingdom’s food sovereignty.
“As a leading CSR player, our participation in SIAM 2023 demonstrates our commitment to sustainable development, social and environmental responsibility, and support for our agricultural partners,” says the Group, presenting its innovative initiatives, its collaborative projects and its prospects for the Moroccan sugar sector.
Caring 4 the future : Les engagements RSE de Cosumar :
Convinced that sustainable growth can only be achieved if it is shared, the Group has placed the challenges of sustainable development at the heart of its corporate project and its managerial culture.
The new CSR approach irrigates the culture of the Group as well as all of its activities, wherever it operates, through four strategic axes broken down into thirteen commitments, in line with the trajectory of its signature “Let’s share the progress”.
To control the environmental impact of its activity, Cosumar adopts exemplary conduct and invests in projects to modernize its industrial sites, convert its facilities to use new fuels and reduce energy losses. The Group has invested 10 billion dirhams (MMDH) in its industrial tool to reduce the environmental impact, which has made it possible to reduce water consumption by 90% since 2005 and energy consumption by 39.4% in the process of processing sugar beet.
Thanks to these colossal investments, Cosumar has succeeded in reducing the carbon footprint of the sector, with a 46% reduction in the carbon footprint of white sugar between 2016 and 2022.
In addition, the company is committed to providing financial, technical and social support to its agricultural partners while supporting farming families. The Group brings together more than 40,000 beet and sugar cane farmers, creates indirect jobs and encourages the creation of SMEs and cooperatives in the agricultural sector.
The Group also injects more than 3 billion dirhams annually in the regions where it operates to finance inputs, advances and agricultural equipment, as well as for the transport of the production of sugar plants and the remuneration of farmers and service providers… . This is in addition to the 5 million working days generated in the agricultural sector. Cosumar also buys all the production at the guaranteed price regardless of the volume produced by the partner farmers.
In addition, Cosumar has obtained ISO 14001 certification, demonstrating its commitment to environmental and responsible management. With 87% of local partners and suppliers and 70% of the purchasing budget made locally, the company is part of a dynamic of responsible and inclusive progress, benefiting its entire ecosystem.
The circular economy is at the heart of the sugar process, since nearly 280,000 tonnes of by-products from sugar beet and sugar cane (pulp, pellets, bagasse, molasses) are recycled and intended for animal feed (pulp /pellets), in the production of yeast (molasses) and used as biofuel by sugar factories (bagasse). As for the water recovered from the beet, it is systematically recycled to be reused in the Group’s industrial process.
Role of the sugar sector in Morocco’s food sovereignty:
The sugar sector plays a crucial role in the Moroccan economy by guaranteeing a regular supply of sugar on the national market, despite the climatic challenges that the country has been facing for some years thanks to an increased resilience. In addition to being an essential pillar for the supply of sugar in Morocco, it is also an important source of income for farmers and for all sectors in the regions.
By promoting the cultivation of sugar cane and sugar beet, the Moroccan sugar industry contributes to job creation and economic growth in rural areas of the country. In addition, it strengthens the country’s food sovereignty while helping to reduce imports of raw sugar.
Cosumar et l’innovation:
The group is actively involved in innovation to improve its performance and offers solutions to guarantee the sustainability of the Moroccan sugar industry. The Group invests in research and development, technology and collaboration with partners and authorities to develop sustainable and competitive solutions for the sugar sector.
– Investment in the search for new, high-performance varieties:
Aware of the challenges posed by the ongoing quest to improve the yields, performance and income of partner farmers, the Group invests in research into new seed varieties and launches a series of varietal trials each year in the research centers of the different sugar perimeters.
This approach aims to ensure the sustainability of sugar production and to support farmers in the face of climatic hazards and to maximize their income.
– Attaissir: digitalization at the service of agriculture
The Cosumar Group, leader in the sugar industry in Morocco, is committed to a process of continuous innovation to support its farming partners. Thus, the Attaissir solution, developed by the Group, makes it possible to digitize the entire value chain of agricultural activity in the Moroccan sugar industry. Thanks to this system, the 40,000 digitalized and quality partner farmers, ensuring real-time monitoring of their production by the system.
– Drones: new management tool at Cosumar
The group has introduced the use of camera-equipped drones for sugar beet crop management, as part of its Agriculture 4.0 project. This method of field monitoring allows early detection of weeds, diseases, insects and pests, as well as accurate identification of pest species. Teams can also accurately calculate stand within plots for faster diagnosis and more effective management.
The use of drones allows optimization of treatments by choosing the herbicide according to the presence or absence of certain weeds, thus reducing costs for farmers while protecting the environment thanks to a reduction in inputs.
– Optimization of fertilization of sugar crops thanks to precision agriculture
Still as part of its precision farming strategy, aimed at optimizing the fertilization of sugar crops, Cosumar has introduced Smart-Blenders producing fertilizer formulas adapted to each plot.
During the 2021-2022 campaign, 24 Smart-Blender machines were added to the machine park, thus allowing the generalization of reasoned fertilization of the plots. Soil analysis has been extended to all perimeters thanks to the establishment of a central Group laboratory within the Tadla perimeter. This laboratory allows the processing of 200 soil samples per day, and thus meets the need to set up fertilizer formulas adapted to each plot.
Cosumar also anticipated the surge in fertilizer prices by optimizing its supply under the best economic conditions, to benefit aggregate farmers.
Location and description of the Cosumar stand
The Cosumar stand at SIAM 2023 is located in Zone B, product area. It is designed to reflect the modern and dynamic image of the company, while highlighting its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.
Visitors will be able to discover the company’s products, innovations and projects, as well as participate in interactive and informative activities.
