Nยบ 21 / July 2019
Sum m e r is Com i ng
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Fitรณ News 21
FitĂł News 21
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EDITORIAL Despite the recent downturn in the sector, which as a result has also affected our company, the first quarter of this year has actually been one of the best in our history.
in the growth of the organization? Once innovation has been applied it then needs to be consolidated. In other words, to do it better each time. In a word: professionalism.
The obvious question that springs to mind is, why?
The answer to our question of why things are going better is surely partly down to our values of innovation and professionalism. But also thanks to our discretion and long-term vision, because working as a team and recognizing each other’s success prepares us for a great future.
The executive committees of the two large business units reacted swiftly as soon as they noticed the first symptoms, reducing investments and curbing expenses, among other things. But perhaps this was not enough: we had to change the way we did things, because what had gone well so far was not working as well anymore. We believe that this experience has brought out in many of us the value of innovation in its purest form. And this continues to be the case. Embracing new technologies that force us to review old protocols is leading to a profound change in our organization. We can see some examples both in the new R&D organizational chart and in the definition of new protocols and KPIs in operations, as well as the more intensive use of the ERP system and its reporting in all departments of the company. How else can we handle so much information and complexity inherent
The management team would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their huge efforts to ensure that our company can move forward, can continue to challenge the sector in which we operate and can make it grow. Only in this way can we grow as people and help our customers achieve maximum profitability.
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PROXIMITY
Fitó News 21 Proximity
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FITÓ CHALLENGE 2019 We challenge each other to learn in a fun way.
CHALLENGE
Last May, coinciding with the San Isidro festival (patron saint of farmers), we held the Fitó Challenge for the second consecutive year. It is the only activity that all Semillas Fitó workers carry out jointly, regardless of our position or work centre. The game consists of challenging each other and answering as many questions as possible on a wide variety of topics: from the history of the company, products, new colleagues or curious facts about the sector.
175 players
9,299 challenges
68
minutes per player
Once again, the results of the game were positive. Despite being miles apart, this virtual game breaks down barriers between the different subsidiaries of the company. Moreover, it is a very entertaining tool that helps employees understand the functioning of the company and learn useful information that makes the day to day easier.
417
questions per player
Of course, we congratulate the winners! 1st ranked player
JOSÉ ANTONIO ROZAS
1st ranked team
TURKEY
(Cabrera de Mar)
Winning team for the second time in a row!
145,243 points
1,137,709 points
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Fitรณ News 21 Proximity
PRESENTING OUR NEWS INNOVATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST We celebrated our 2019 horticultural field day in Amman.
Attendees at the 2019 field day in Amman.
Back in March we brought together around 40 attendees at the main horticultural event in the Middle East. All the area countries participated, as well as the central team from Barcelona. At the event we presented our new innovations to customers for their markets. These included the Montse, Samra and Estela aubergines, the Tialas, Mahour and Yekta cucumbers and the Bibo pepper. We held individual meetings with each customer to present the varieties and plan their introduction into the respective markets. Our customers were positively impressed and very satisfied with our products.
Fitó News 21 Proximity
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HELLO SPRING! Hobby debuts as an exhibitor at the Handmade Festival in Barcelona.
The Hobby division welcomed the spring by participating as an exhibitor at the Handmade Festival in Barcelona, the DIY festival par excellence that involved more than 350 activities and more than 90 exhibiting brands. Our stand was located within the Bauhaus space, a Semillas Fitó customer for more than 10 years, where we were the only unique seed brand. It was a great opportunity to show our catalogue of Eurogarden brand varieties and to reach out to all those gardening and urban garden amateurs. The Fitó Hobby stand at the Handmade Festival.
We organized three workshops for them with Ester Casanovas, the expert behind PicaronaBlog, a blog with different content on gardening, urban gardens and horticultural trends. On this occasion, we wanted to share tips and basic concepts those for starting out in gardening with a practical workshop where the attendees were able to sow three crop varieties: pumpkin, marigold and Genovese basil from our collection of tapes and discs. Ester Casanovas explained: "There are many benefits of sowing from seed, among them the possibility of having a wide range of varieties that you cannot find in a plant nursery, so the possibilities are endless”.
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Fitรณ News 21 Proximity
STRENGTHENING OUR IMAGE IN FRANCE We attended the Les Culturales field crops fair in Les Poitiers for the first time.
Les Culturales is a two-day fair organized annually by the Arvalis agricultural institute in the south of France, mainly focused on field crops. It is usually a very technical event, held in the countryside, which was attended by more than 300 exhibitors and 18,000 visitors during this last edition. The bad weather on the first day led to a low influx of visitors, but fortunately on the second day the sun came out and we were able to properly meet customers.
We exchanged opinions about our varieties, Neutron and Volos mainly, with farmers who have tested them, and we were also able to provide information to potential customers interested in our genetics. Our presence at this fair was very positive, as it has enabled us to strengthen our brand image and increase visibility in the south of the country.
Fitรณ News 21 Proximity
INSPIRING EXQUISITE MOMENTS
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EXPERIENCE
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THE LAUNCH OF PURE DYNASTY This new variety is possibly the best Paspalum Vaginatum on the market.
Last April we organized, together with Atlas Turf International, a tour of several places in Spain to present the new variety of Paspalum Vaginatum, Pure Dynasty, possibly the best Paspalum Vaginatum seed currently on the market. The talk was led by John Holmes, president of Atlas Turf International and head of international sales and marketing for the hot climate varieties of Pure Seed and one of the world's leading experts in Paspalum Vaginatum. We have been working together for years to bring new varieties to the market that meet the needs of the sector's main players and Pure Dynasty is a successful example.
On this occasion, three seminars were held in which John Holmes presented the variety and explained how it was obtained, how it has been produced, what its main characteristics are and how it should be planted for its correct germination and seedling development, as well as what its main applications are. On the first day the talk was held at Golf Son Muntaner, in collaboration with Tubosa Balear, which was attended by a large number of professionals from the Balearic Islands. On the second day the seminar was repeated at the Golf Hacienda Riquelme in Murcia in collaboration with CampoĂŠs, an event that was highly anticipated. The last presentation was given at the Real Club de Golf Las Palmas in collaboration with our local distributor Canarias Explosivos, another event with a huge attendance which generated very interesting discussions. In accordance with our company mission, we want to continue to promote the creation and the introduction of new exceptional varieties that can improve the sports fields and green spaces of the future and these technical seminars were proof of this.
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Fitó News 21 Experience
NOVI SAD FAIR Sharing our expertise in the Balkans.
Last May we participated in the International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad (Serbia), with a stand in the ICEX Spain Export and Investment pavilion. As its name indicates, the fair was held in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia’s second city and capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, one of the main agricultural regions of the country that has an important food processing industry. The fair is considered the most important event in the sector in Southeast Europe, so it was the perfect opportunity to gain visibility in front of potential customers and generate new business opportunities. The Semillas Fitó stand at the Novi Sad fair.
Semillas Fitó was the only seed supplier from among the seven Spanish companies that participated with the support of Spain's Economic and Commercial Office in Belgrade. The four divisions of the company took part jointly, together with our distributor in Serbia, Konus Glorija, through whom we sell vegetable, field crops and hobby seeds in that country.
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On this occasion, the Field Crops division was the star of the show and we received visits from more than 100 farmers, important customers, who asked about our new varieties of maize, although they also showed interest in our sorghum and forage offering, which demonstrates a clear increase in silage area in Serbia and the growing demand for this type of crop. We also received visits from customers from other countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. "The fair has been a great success," said Luis Fernåndez-Cervera, Director of Sales and Marketing for Field Crops, "and we hope to continue growing in the Balkans, offering farmers profitable varieties that meet their needs because they are adapted to their growing conditions�.
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Fitรณ News 21 Experience
Committed to agribusiness
Agribusiness transforms products obtained from the land, maintaining the highest quality, to produce raw materials and derivatives. In other words, it is the processed food sector. The modernization and evolution of the food sector has led to the emergence of new sales formats which are more convenient and accessible to the final consumer. Food products are organized into ranges depending on their origin and/or preservation. This system of classification by ranges is more often used to define the way in which an entity receives the product and in what state it arrives. This allows us to distinguish between several types of food products:
Committed to agribusiness
1Range st This range includes fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and eggs. They are very perishable food products that need to be kept refrigerated. Also included are foods that undergo a traditional preservation process (for example: salting, fermentation, pickling...).
3 rd Range
Fitó News 21 Experience
2Range nd These foods, after being hermetically sealed in a glass or metal container, are subjected to different thermal processes that ensure their correct preservation. According to the intensity of this processing we can differentiate between the following: Canned food: this undergoes an intense and long-lasting processing called sterilization, which eliminates all microorganisms. In this case it is not necessary to also simultaneously apply a cold process, or in other words, these items do not need to be refrigerated for protection.
4 th Range
(Frozen products)
These are products that have been frozen or deep-frozen (-40ºC) and which have correctly followed the "cold chain” until consumption. An example of these products are frozen vegetables or fruits (frozen green beans, peas, red fruits, etc.).
5 th Range
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These have a longer useful life than the 4th range (from 1 to 3 months), but less than that of frozen or preserved products. They are products subjected to heat processing followed by vacuum or modified atmosphere packing. They are ready-to-eat food products that only need to be heated up before consumption. They are usually packed in plastic material and are usually sold from the refrigerated areas of shops. In this range we can differentiate between: Sterilized products: these are subjected to processing above 100 ºC which totally destroys any microorganisms.
Semi-canned food: this undergoes a lighter thermal process called pasteurization, which does not eliminate all microorganisms, and therefore it must be refrigerated. Some examples include asparagus, peppers, peach in syrup, canned fish, etc.
(Products which are vacuum or modified atmosphere packed)
These are products (mostly vegetables) that are cut, washed and prepared and packed in a vacuum or modified atmosphere and ready to be eaten at any time. Their usual lifespan is about 7 days. Once they leave the food industry, these products have to be stored at refrigeration temperatures (3º to 4º C is the most recommended temperature) until they are consumed. Example of this range include ready-toeat salads, cut and washed vegetables, etc.
Pasteurized products:These are products that, due to their chemical nature, cannot withstand the above temperatures and are subject to ranges of 65 ºC and 85 ºC. They need to be refrigerated. They include cooked products (pre-prepared meat, fish, rice, vegetable dishes) or mixtures of cooked products with fresh vegetables.
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Committed to agribusiness
Fitó News 21 Experience
Semillas Fitó entered the agribusiness sector 19 years ago, working with spinach and Swiss chard. We currently develop and produce varieties for the whole world in 8 different species: sweet corn, green beans, broad beans, peppers, courgettes, aubergines, Swiss chard and rapini. Our agribusiness department supports the industry by developing varieties that meet its needs, while taking into account the demands of each market, such as plant structure, Brix, size, colour, firmness of the fruit... We pursue excellence of the final product, both for the industry and for the final consumer. As plant breeders, we want to be one more link in the chain. At Semillas Fitó we want to be a partner: our objective is not only to sell the seed but to understand the product from start to finish and contribute to its technical improvement and production. For example, with courgettes we work to get a more efficient plant for the producer, while maintaining a high quality fruit in its structure and taste. Also, with aubergines we look for absence of thorns and varieties whose flesh is denser, so that it absorbs less oil.
TEAM
PEDRO BAUTISTA Global Processing Manager
LLUÍS GARCÍA Global Large Seeds Coordinator
IGOR JOZIC Area Manager Eastern Europe
OLIVIER LAFFARGUE Sales Technician France
KEREM CEBE Sales Technician Turkey
DAVID ESTEFANÍA Sales Technician Northern Spain
CRISTINA ALCOVERRO Customer Service
CRISTINA ROYES Customer Service
MARGARITA PERULERO Logistics
ESTHER BERMÚDEZ Logistics
RESEARCH
SERVICE
WARRANTY
We work on peppers, sweet corn and beans with the innovation hub Cocina de ideas, to learn more about our products and at the same time share all this information with our customers.
We adapt so that we can improve the quality of the final product. We changed the bean packaging, from kg to units, to make sowing easier and to obtain more homogeneity in the harvest.
A significant amount of the sweet corn consumed in Europe comes from a Semillas Fitó seed.
Fitó News 21 Experience
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FARWELL DEAR COLLEAGUES! We say goodbye to colleagues who have taken early retirement after devoting their careers to Semillas Fitó.
To all of them we would like to show our deep appreciation for their work and give them a warm farewell. We sincerely hope they enjoy this new stage in their lives!
JOSEP SOLÉ
ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ
Maintenance technician, Barbens Hiring date: 2 May 1983
Breeder, Cabrera de Mar Hiring date: 1 July 1983
ISABEL SÁNCHEZ
FINA CORONADO
Manual packaging officer, Barcelona Hiring date: 3 April 1990
Management Control officer, Barcelona Hiring date: 1 August 1990
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INNOVATION
Fitó News 21 Innovation
HOBBY IS COMMITTED TO DIGITAL COMMUNICATION We took part in the Mi Hogar Mejor project of the AFEB and reinforced the use of YouTube as a tool.
At the beginning of June we took part in the first Mi Hogar Mejor workshop between brands and influencers, a project by the AFEB (Association of Spanish DIY Manufacturers). The Workshop was led by Alejandro Casero, a partner at the digital marketing agency Houser & Houser and Marta Pérez, head of the Mi Hogar Mejor Project. During the event we took the opportunity to discuss issues such as the role that influencer marketing plays in the communication plans of a companies and user behaviour on digital platforms. A total of 11 brands took part, as well as two of the project’s influencers: Steffido and Rincón Útil. New projects are in the pipeline for the Hobby division and now more than ever it is important to be open to digital communication to get closer to our target audience and grow day by day. Laura Gelabert, Key Account Manager of the Hobby division concludes: "This new action with influencers will help us get closer to the final consumer working with recognized DIY prescribers". Soon you will be able to watch seed tutorials using our Eurogarden seeds on the following YouTube channels: La Huertina de Toni and La Huerta de Iván. They’re not to be missed!
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Fitรณ News 21 Innovation
WE OBTAINED GSPP CERTIFICATION In March, we officially passed the GSPP (Good Seed and Plant Practices) certification process. The Semillas Fitรณ Barcelona facility has obtained the certification that allows us to supply seeds under the GSPP logo. This certification guarantees that the seed has been produced and processed based on the regulatory requirements of the GSPP foundation, which in turn means that the seed has been managed following strict quality standards that minimize the likelihood of contamination by the bacteria Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. Michiganensis (Cmm). This pathogen is the cause of the main bacterial disease in tomatoes around the world.
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What does the GSPP certification at Semillas Fitรณ involve? The GSPP certification covers 18 activities that go from the production of seeds to their sale (including processing and the relevant quality analyses). In addition, it requires an exhaustive traceability of the seed lots involved in this set of 18 activities. Therefore, GSPP does not certify companies as a whole, but rather the work centres where these activities are carried out which have demonstrated compliance with said regulations. For this reason, the Semillas Fitรณ Barcelona has set up a completely isolated working environment for the seeds that pass through the GSPP activities circuit. In this space, the staff follow strict hygiene measures and the work material is properly disinfected. In addition, it is equipped with the latest technology to prevent the flow of suspended particles from other environments.
Why have we obtained certification? In line with our quality policy, Semillas Fitรณ decided to undergo the certification process to offer our customers the highest level of safety in the production and processing of our tomato seeds. In this way, Semillas Fitรณ internalizes the highest standards of preventive culture with the aim of promoting profitable and sustainable agriculture.
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Fitó News 21 Innovation
OUR FIRST SALE IN VIETNAM In March, the Vegetable Export team achieved the first sale of Semillas Fitó in Vietnam.
is becoming more professional and being able to work and get involved in this process is very rewarding. How did you find the new customer? A.M: It was Jordi Ballester (Director of Business Development) who handed over the reins once the distributor, Fresh Studio Innovations, got in touch with Semillas Fitó.
As explained by Alfredo Mesa, Export Manager for just over a year and the person responsible for countries such as Germany, Israel, Greece, the United States and Australia, it has not been an easy task. First of all, why is it important for Semillas Fitó to sell in a country like Vietnam? Alfredo Mesa: First, opening a business in a new country means increasing sales and growing the business. Second, Vietnam is a country that is quite far away geographically and this can serve as an experience to open up other markets in Southeast Asia. Having a presence in these markets increases the global perception of Semillas Fitó around the world. Agriculture in these countries
What difficulties did you come across? A.M: The main difficulty was the lack of export/import agreements between the governments of Spain and Vietnam. To this day, Vietnam cannot import seeds that have passed through Spain. Dr Dolors Baget (Regulatory Affairs) is working with the Spanish authorities to obtain these permits. Another difficulty is the shipping costs. Shipments to Vietnam have to be transported by air, which means that the cost is quite high, even from India, which is where the seed of this first sale came from. How did you solve these problems? A.M: We had three options: use one of our subsidiaries, contract the service of another company that already exported to Vietnam or wait to obtain export permits from Spain. While we were discussing the matter, we received the first official order from the
distributor: 50,000 Brilliant seeds and 50,000 Career seeds. Although we weren’t ready, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity. We sent 20,000 cucumber seeds as a sample (free of charge) and we waited till we came up with something to send the courgette seeds. We had Brillante seeds in stock in India, so the Semillas Fitó India team came into play. Dr Jaswant Singh and Jaganath Komala made it possible to send and invoice what was the first sale of Semillas Fitó in Vietnam. After this sale, it was decided that Semillas Fitó India would be responsible for the logistics and invoicing with Fresh Studio, while the relationship with the customer would be carried out from Barcelona.
Fitó News 21 Innovation
What are the crops with the highest sales potential for Semillas Fitó in Vietnam? A.M: In my opinion, we’ll be able sell a little of everything: California peppers, tomatoes of all types, courgettes, cucumbers, melons, aubergines... even watermelons when we have them. The potential of that country is not very high, I estimate it at around five million euros, but our distribution network is very motivated and we will do everything in our power to achieve the highest percentage of market share. We currently offer 37 varieties of tomato, 12 of pepper, 6 of aubergine, 8 of melon, 5 of courgette and 15 of cucumber. What characteristics does Vietnamese agriculture have? A.M: To be honest, I was surprised. I expected a more rustic type of agriculture, similar to what was done in Spain forty or fifty years ago, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Agriculture in Vietnam has developed rapidly thanks to the vision of its government and the ease of access to the country for foreign companies. For example, our distributor Rene Van Rensen, a Dutch company, established itself in the country about twelve years
ago and since then it has collaborated with the government on projects to improve food security there. The government of Vietnam not only facilitates bureaucratic procedures but also allocates part of its economic resources to work with companies such as Fresh Studio to develop agriculture. The most important projects in which Fresh Studio is involved are the establishment of seedbeds and farms run by women's groups. How do you see the future of the new commercial relationship between Semillas Fitó and the distributor in Vietnam? A.M: I expect many more sales and a long-term relationship with our distributor. I hope that many more sales have taken place between this interview and its
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publication. In fact, I'm waiting for orders of Delux pepper and Carrera cucumber. Something that I have not yet had the opportunity to comment on in this interview is the courage and hard work being done by David Tamariz, Trial Officer for Fresh Studio in Da Lat. He is a Valencian who, without ever having visited Vietnam, decided to move there and work for Fresh Studio. David performs the tests and monitors all the varieties we send him. The most important thing is that he keeps me informed of how the test are going and with his team they write reports that are very helpful in directing the shipments of the following varieties to be tested. I hope a long-term friendship that goes beyond the world of seeds will develop from this professional relationship. What’s been the best thing about this experience? A.M: Without a doubt, the great team that Semillas Fitó has all over the world. Thanks to all of them, problems that initially seemed insurmountable have been solved. With effort and will everything is possible in this company. It took work and daring, but the rewards are there for all to see. Also, the knowledge I’ve gained about crops, varieties and what I learned in the area of exports. Often it’s not just about finding the right varieties but making sure they reach their destination.
David Tamarit (Horticulture Production Specialist), Lo Xuan Dung (R&D Manager – Crops), Alfredo Mesa (Export Manager), René Van Rensen (R&D Director - Crops) and Toni Cabrero (Marketing & Sales Director)
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FITÓ FAMILY
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NEW HIRES Hosni Bahloul
Morocco Vegetable Seeds Sales and Development technician
Facility: Morocco Hobbies: Music and travel.
Mario Pacheco Assistant Breeder México
Elena Astor
Vegetable Seeds Area Manager for Iberia
Facility: México. Hobbies: Running, cinema, music and photography.
Facility: Spain. Hobbies: Reading, crafts, walking on the beach, cycling and padel.
Neiva Cuadrado Cazorla Breeder Assistant
Facility: Almería, Spain. Hobbies: Travel.
Eduardo Serna
Marthell Estefannia Baez Communications Assistant
Facility: México. Hobbies: Yoga, travel and learning about new cultures and reading.
Field Crops Sales Technician for Northern Spain
Facility: Spain. Hobbies: Sports, road cycling, excursions to the mountains, spending time with friends, cinema...
Lorena Casas
Manual Packaging Operator Barcelona
Facility: Barcelona, Spain. Hobbies: Travel, sports, cinema and good food.
Santiago Cerdán Jiménez Crop supervisor farms of Premiá and Vilassar de Mar.
Facility: Maresme. Hobbies: Hiking, History and Archeology and snorkeling.
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Fitó News 21 Fitó Family
Newborns
LUCÍA
AHMET
Born on 12 June, she is the daughter of Pep Medina, a colleague from Barcelona.
Born on 26/01/2019 weighing 2 kg. The son of Burak Bağırsakçı, a colleague from Turkey and winner of Fitó Challenge 2018.
12/06/2019
FITOKU
26/01/2019
WORD SEARCH Find 5 places with a Fitó facility
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DID YOU KNOW... ... we are co-creating the Sapiens del Tomate with elBullifoundation?
The Sapiens del Tomate will be part of Bullipedia, Ferran Adrià's grand project, which consists of creating the largest multi-format encyclopedia of restaurant gastronomy in the western world. The book is being written by the journalist Mireia Nicolás, to whom Semillas Fitó is providing the scientific and technical information about the tomato, while elBul-
lifoundation will provide the cultural and culinary vision of the fruit. Mireia, using the Sapiens methodology, will analyse the tomato from different perspectives: not only as a product, but also the ecosystem in which it is grown and produced, from its production to its arrival to the consumer, with a 360 degree perspective.
Sapiens is a methodology created by elBullifoundation to understand and analyse a project, in order to improve efficiency in innovation.
Ferran Adrià is a Spanish chef considered the best in the world. He has revolutionized the world of gastronomy by incorporating science through the use of molecular gastronomy. He was the main chef of the elBulli restaurant, attaining international recognition with three Michelin stars and ranked the best restaurant in the world.
www.semillasfito.com