A company who work with the Indian grape cultivators of Sangli, explains that sustainability is a large part of their company’s policy. Andreas Schindler, the owner of Don Limón, therefore wants German retailers to become re-acquainted with the Indian grapes. “We are not in it for the money, we care about changing the world for the better,” Schindler says.
“We want to form long-term relationships with our partners, and we want our partners to also care about sustainability. That is why we are trying to put Indian grapes back on the map. Customers care about sustainability, which is why it is not just a marketing gig for us,” Schindler continues. For this reason, Don Limón works with Indian cultivators from the Sangli region.
Debjit Ghosh is the project manager for this region. “We want to enhance the standard of living in the Sangli region in India. We are doing this by strengthening the export capabilities of grape cultivators in the area,” he says. Since this project started, each farmer has increased total production by 25 per cent on average, compared to previous grape seasons. The total number of employees has almost doubled compared to last year. “The standard of living is enhanced, because all of the employees are recruited from local, rural areas.”
Schindler says it is important to be open about sustainability. “The entire supply chain has to be transparent regarding sustainability. That is why we want to work with partners who we can learn from, and who can learn from us in return. All of the things we do need to make sense!”
