Sacoje has been a founding member of the Association to Promote Broccoli Eating, +Brócoli, since its inception. It is part of our commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles, among which we highlight the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
That is why when the colleagues of +Brócoli asked us for an interview with Marcos Martínez, manager of Sacoje S. Coop, we didn’t hesitate for a second to say yes.
Interview with Marcos Martínez by +Brócoli:
- How many years have you been growing broccoli?
- We started growing broccoli almost from the very beginning of the cooperative, 34 years ago.
- What is it about our favourite vegetable that caught your attention?
- Above all, we were interested in the large consumption of broccoli in other European countries and we proposed it as an alternative to traditional crops in the area such as cotton, artichoke and paprika.
- Broccoli is considered by more and more people as the food of the 21st century, how do you think it will evolve in the coming years?
- It is a product that has become essential in our consumption and will continue to grow in Spain.
- How do you approach innovation in the field? New products, new cultivation techniques, new tools?
- The big challenge for the coming years is how to optimise our efficiency and costs. We are at a time when any improvement in the production chain is very important.
- Have you noticed a change of trend in the way society eats, and what has this meant for your production in recent years?
- Yes, in general there is more awareness of eating healthy food. This has made broccoli a mainstay of the vegetables in food, and we have been adapting to our customers’ demand for different forms of packaging and presentation.
- The agricultural sector has proved to be indispensable in situations that required the greatest effort to supply the entire population. How did you perceive this situation?
- It is very clear that we are an important part of the food industry. Today we can say that we are proud of all of us who make up the company because we have seen how all the staff have given their all in very complicated and frightening times, doing their bit to avoid the lack of supply to the chains. I know that the rest of the sector has experienced it in the same way.
- At the moment, I believe that this is beginning to be forgotten and the feeling on the street is only that the shopping basket is getting more expensive. This is something that we too, as producers, are experiencing and suffering it on the front line without being able to control it and always passing it on below the level of reality.
- Now we are programming the new campaign where we have to make an estimate of costs and sales consumption, 4 or 5 months in advance and without knowing clearly how the situation is going to be.
- How long have you been collaborating with Más Brócoli and what do you appreciate most about this collaboration?
- Since the first day of its birth, we have been one of the founding partners. We believe that this union of partners has been the best way to join forces and to make our great product better known.
- And finally, any favourite recipes that should not escape any of our fans?
- Broccoli has an infinite number of ways of preparing and eating it, and they are all delicious. In my opinion, a recipe that is easy to prepare, suitable for all types of diets and that everyone likes is meatballs with broccoli, carrots and chickpeas.