COVAP Awarded “Cooperative of the Year 2018” at the Fourth Edition of the Spanish Agri-Food Cooperative Awards

Today saw the celebration of the National Confederation’s General Assembly, which included the fourth edition of the Spanish Agri-Food Cooperative Awards. The awards were presided over by Luis Planas, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Of the four prizes on offer, the award for “Cooperative of the Year” went to COVAP and was collected by Ricardo Delgado Vizcaíno, the company’s Chairman.

Following the success of Dcoop and Unica Group in the first and second editions of the awards, this is the third time in four years that an Andalusian cooperative has been recognized in the general category. The winner for 2018 is Cooperativa Ganadera del Valle de los Pedroches (COVAP), which claimed the award following a year marked by significant progress in all areas. 

Of particular note is the Cooperative’s impressive growth, having reached 977,000 tonnes of food produced and 465 million euros in turnover. This increase in turnover and the Cooperative’s strategy of investment and continuous improvement has also enabled it to employ an additional 44 people. COVAP ended the year with 751 employees, representing a 25% increase over 2015. Over the last year, COVAP – which comprises some 2,500 active livestock farmers – has made significant advances in terms of quality, product innovation, technological improvement, animal welfare and good practices in livestock farming. All these achievements are complemented by an extensive program of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, through which the Cooperative promotes sport, training, and culture, provides help to the most vulnerable groups, and continues to promote equal opportunities both within and outside its professional field. Additionally, 2018 also marked the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Cooperative’s founding.