Interview: Francisco Javier Arredondo Loyola

Francisco is an agronomist born in Sinaloa de Leyva Sinaloa, currently he is the food safety coordinator of Vitanova Fresh Produce.

Francisco is a young professional committed to the company and the community. He won the first place in the 2017-2018 Training Program in the evaluation of each of the five areas of the Eleven Rivers Certification Scheme Growers v2.4.

1. Since when did you work in Vitanova Fresh Produce and how did you get to this company?

My eventual working relationship with Vitanova Fresh Produce initiate in 2011, when I started my studies at the Faculty of Agronomy of del Fuerte Valley. I worked on weekends in various activities such as: mooring, weeding and planting; in harvest as loader and washing harvest containers.

In 2013, I concentrated only to my studies, attending summers of scientific research in other states of the country, later collaborating in university researchs. These activities limited me in time to work on weekends, being the reason why I stopped collaborating in Vitanova.

In 2015, I returned to Vitanova Fresh Produce with the aim of carrying out professional practice in its facilities. With the support of Engineer Jesús Valenzuela I joined the productive processes as a practitioner. The months passed and I realized that within Vitanova Fresh Produce there was a promising future, because it is a company with many opportunities for working, committed and responsible people; values ​​that I wish to be part at the company.

In the month of October, after finishing my professional practices, Engineer Jesus Valenzuela and Engineer Jesus Molina again gave me the confidence and gave me the position of field food safety assistant. The position allowed me to attend specific trainings where I understood the focus and purpose of the Good Agricultural Practices that ensure the Food Safety, that became my favorite topic, ever since.

In 2016, the Management of Vitanova Fresh Produce decided to give me the opportunity to coordinate the food safety program.

2. What is your position and what are your main responsibilities?

I am currently the Food Safety Coordinator. My main responsibility is to identify and analyze the contamination hazards that can compromise our products and therefore the consumer; dangers that harm the health of our workers and the environment. Also, I carry out verification of activities in each area, coordinate the food safety program, giving training to all our work team to make them know about the handling of our products, the importance of good hygiene practices both agricultural and manufacturing and in that way act preventively against the physical, chemical or biological hazards that may arise.

The objective of my activities is to keep the danger under control by implementing preventive and corrective actions that ensure the safety of our product.

3. What are the main professional challenges you have faced?

Vitanova Fresh Produce count with a group of permanent workers with extensive experience in food safety. The company since its inception, has responsibly implemented a food safety program, has maintained low turnover in its permanent staff and that has greatly benefited its competitiveness.

The biggest challenge I have faced is to occupy a position of great responsibility in less than 2 years and relatively little experience in the area. However, that same challenge led me to develop skills that I did not know that I have, involve in a subject that had been discussed so little in college. I made a significant effort to acquire the knowledge and be able to replicate them to each area manager.

At first, it was complicated by my young age and fear of failure. However, I believe that my effort, commitment and dedication was reflected with each of my colleagues, gaining their trust. Today, we have formed a good work team, since we finally work for the same goal that is to ensure that the tomatoes we produce do not cause harm to their consumers.

4. ¿What importance do you consider to implement a “Food Safety Culture” in the grower companies?

Food Safety is here to stay. The agricultural companies that implement and develop the culture of innocuity, in any place, are recognized everywhere. Even the workers themselves compare the activities that take place in one company and another and choose to work where they receive a good treatment. Companies must implement the culture of food safety to be competitive.

The commitment of the top managers of the company is the pillar to sustain a food safety culture.

5. How important certifications are for Vitanova Fresh Produce?

The company currently complies with the applicable national legislation and the legislation of the destination market through certifications. This makes Vitanova Fresh Produce a competitive company and provide confidence to consumers. In addition, certifications are a gateway to other markets.

6. Since when the company begin to work under the Eleven Rivers Certification Scheme?

The company began with the Diagnostic, the first stage of the certification in 2014 and in 2015 achieved the certification.

7. Tell us about your experience in the certification process with Eleven Rivers

The certification process was a training for me, I participated as a food safety assistant, and I understood the structure of the scheme, the criteria of all the axes and the development of the certification.

8. Do you think that being incorporated into Eleven Rivers has brought some benefit to the company and, if so, what has it been?

The Eleven Rivers certification scheme allows the participation of all areas of the company. Each update in the scheme is shared with all the areas, it is reviewed and each area manager takes the criteria that apply. Working with this certification has given more strength to the work team that integrates Vitanova Fresh Produce.

9. How important do you consider training in a grower company?

The training provides the personnel with the necessary knowledge to meet the objectives of each production process; a trained worker is more proactive and productive. The training is never redundant, on the contrary is very important for any company; the worker must receive training before starting his activities and constantly to apply improvements in the activities he performs.

10. What did you feel when you obtained the first place in the annual Eleven Rivers Training Program?

The truth for me was incredible, at that time I was just waiting for the training diploma, but Eleven Rivers gave me the surprise and acknowledged the performance shown. I was very happy to see that my effort and dedication paid off. I am certain that this recognition will not be the only one, there is still a lot of work to be done and one of them is to maintain the recognition.

11. Anything additional you wish to add?

I would like to give a special thanks to the directors and colleagues of Vitanova Fresh Produce for giving me their support. Also recognize the actions that Eleven Rivers is developing to achieve the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises. Growers who are not yet working under the Eleven Rivers scheme should do so.