COOP, TIOR and YOOM® together for sustainable and climate-friendly food grown

COOP to respond to the growing consumer demand for food grown in an environmentally friendly way, has required TIOR to work through the most climate-friendly and sustainable methods.

In a highly regulated market like the Swiss one that has to compete with imported products, TIOR's goal is to ensure a future for the domestic horticultural sector,’’ said Marco Bassi, managing director of the TIOR cooperative, which has 34 member farms in the region.

"Actions Not Words" program developed by COOP is aimed at consumers concerned about locally sourced food grown using environmentally compatible methods. This is why TIOR inaugurated an innovative greenhouse designed to be climate-friendly. It can operate 18 hours a day, 365 days a year, producing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including the YOOM® tomato that is TIOR's exclusive production for COOP.

The greenhouse in which YOOM® is grown features low-energy LED lighting and is heated by clean energy that is supplied by a public heat network and supplemented by solar panels. Moreover, the greenhouse uses an extensive water recycling system. And excess organic material the operation is fed to an energy-producing biogas power plant.

Jeremie Chabanis, Head of Value Chain for Syngenta Vegetable Seeds in the EAME region, noted the value of participating in TIOR’s program: “Working with companies like TIOR in Switzerland is crucial for us to understand how to respond to consumer and market needs,” Chabanis said. “From breeding to cultivation techniques, to marketing and promotion, we work closely with our partners in choosing the best varieties for them."