Peregrín establishes a tailor-made MAAVi Lab agreement with Kimitec to lead sustainable agriculture

Peregrín, a family-run fruit and vegetable producer and retailer with a strong presence in the agri-food industry, has signed a MAAVi Lab or strategic partnership agreement with Kimitec under which both companies will cooperate to develop the most sustainable garlic on the market by 2030.

"Supermarkets are pressuring us to remodel our farming operations, which requires the adoption of highly effective natural products that do not jeopardize crop productivity and quality." The MAAVi gives us an answer with natural solutions with products that have the same features as a chemical product " said Felipe Gómez García, CEO of Peregrín during the signing of the agreement with Félix García Moreno, CEO of the MAAVi Innovation Center of Kimitec.

Peregrín presently bears the Zeyra seal, which guarantees that its garlic is zero-residue at the time of harvest, but the company hopes to go even farther in terms of sustainability by achieving completely residue-free production. To that end, Kimitec and Peregrín will collaborate under an Open Innovation model to transition from zero residue to residue-free cultivation by substituting synthetic chemistry for equally effective natural compounds and molecules.

The research will begin with garlic cultivation and then expand to search for solutions to other challenges, such as sclerotinia and tip-burn in lettuce, as well as post-harvest yellowing of broccoli. "The idea is to accompany Peregrín in its transition from zero residue to entirely residue-free production over the next several years," points out Félix García, CEO of Kimitec.

What is a MAAVi Lab?

"These agreements are aimed at large producers that want to be among the first to achieve zero residue while maintaining or improving productivity," explains Félix García, CEO of Kimitec.

The agri-food industry is experiencing a paradigm shift. New European and international strategies and policies are being developed, requiring large producers to reinvent and adapt themselves. A change in the food system that promotes a healthier, more sustainable diet and is one of the objectives of the European Green Deal's Farm to Fork strategy. In this context, Kimitec asks large producers, "Who takes care of these problems?" Who supports and listens to them? Who provides solutions to their challenges? Who takes them into consideration?

A MAAVi Lab is an opportunity for large agri-food producers to tackle difficulties and needs through tailor-made research conducted by the MAAVi Innovation Center. Among the innovative and sustainable solutions it provides, are those that help to minimize economic losses, increase production, achieve zero residue and sustainability in manufacturing processes, and search for natural molecules to substitute those of synthetic chemistry, among others. In sum, integrating the resources that Europe's biotechnology hub can bring.

Kimitec's MAAVi Innovation Center takes on these research and development challenges "a la carte." MAAVi IC, which was founded by Kimitec in 2019, has a team of more than 80 scientists and researchers that work diligently for clients who share their vision.

Companies such as UNICA and Frutas BOLLO have signed MAAVi Labs agreements because they believe that natural and sustainable agriculture is the best option to meet current challenges and ensure the profitability of their companies in an ever-changing sector.