Pharmactive’s Environmental Management System gets ISO certification

Image courtesy of Pharmactive Bioactive SLU

Pharmactive Biotech Products SLU (Madrid, Spain) has unveiled a long-term sustainability program that emphasizes fair trade, the boosting of local women’s workforces, reduction of energy consumption and waste through upcycling, and promotion of crops that support biodiversity. The company has certified its Environmental Management System according to ISO 14001:2015.

Pharmactive employs sustainable sourcing and production protocols, while maintaining complete control of its supply channels to bring high quality ethically sourced organic certified botanicals to customers. As part of its robust environmental policy, Pharmactive has devised a long-term contract farming plan to reinforce the local economy and workforce in the remote areas of Castille-La-Mancha region of Spain as well as to promote Spanish culture heritage preservation. The contract farming support program secures the income and livelihoods of the farmers living within the provinces, and in return, the farmers must commit to traditional and ecological agriculture and harvesting practices.

“Spain is scattered with rural areas dubbed ‘empty Spain’ due to populations abandoning these towns to seek better employment opportunities within the larger metropolises,” explains Julia Diaz, head of marketing for Pharmactive, in a press release. “Castille is considered an important ancient agrarian cultural heritage site of Spain, yet it has been suffering from this ghost town syndrome. As a result, the government is pushing incentives to attract people to the region, and we have deployed our initiatives to try and help our government reverse the trend.”

In addition to negotiating attractive pay schemes and work contracts with the farmers, Pharmactive’s program also ensures that the farmers can sell their full harvest by creating demand. One way the program promotes employment prospects for women is through manual labor requirements for certain crops such as saffron. Local senior women are employed to separate the delicate stigmas from the flower by hand, keeping alive an ancient tradition, and avoiding the use of machinery which prevents waste emissions.

Utilizing traditional agricultural practices also help Pharmactive’s ecological mission. Specifically, the company adheres to the Spanish agricultural tradition of “Barbecho,” which designates period for letting its private fields lie fallow so that the land rejuvenates and restores its organic matter.

“This practice exerts a positive impact through multiple mechanisms,” explains Jean-Marie Raymond, CEO at Pharmactive. “It enriches the ecosystem, promotes biodiversity, and benefits pollinating insects. It also protects endangered species, such as several native steppe habitat birds, and helps naturally control pests, fungi, and weeds. Furthermore, this ancient practice gives us a means of sustaining the Earth so that it can continue to sustain us.”

The ISO certification serves as an endorsement of the company’s proactivity, ensuring its entire operation, from farming to extraction to distribution are eco-supportive. “We are committed to developing a fair and enduring relationship with the communities involved in the sourcing and processing saffron,” said Diaz. “Pharmactive’s operations are based on solid principles of respect for the environment and a desire to contribute to the quality of life of communities we work with and the consumers we serve.”