Despite being in his sixties, the character created by Maurício de Souza in 1962 reflects well the modernity that Cargill Foods, a unit of Cargill Global, seeks at that time. The friendly Jotalhão has become a reference in tomato paste and for decades has maintained a very particular relationship with consumers. However, the same public that identifies with the Elefante brand for the tradition of flavor based only on tomato, salt and sugar, now also demands a commitment from the entire production chain to the preservation of the planet. The company got the message: it invested R$ 80 million to replace the old metal packaging with plastic. The new version, made with aseptic material, can go in the fridge, offers practicality with an open and close lid and avoids the emission of 6,800 tons of carbon dioxide per year. In the production chain as a whole, the reduction in CO2 emissions is 20%.
This modernization of the Elefante brand, in line with the new market demands, was one of the main challenges facing the General Manager of Cargill Foods for South America, Augusto Lemos, when he joined the company in 2018. “Elefante was the extract used by grandmothers, and I had to make it the preference of mothers and granddaughters as well”, said the executive. The next step is the launch, soon, of the option with only tomato, without seasonings.
DOUBLE GAIN According to Lemos, the company has doubled its revenues in the last three years, based on its two main operations, the production of vegetable-based oils and fats and tomato paste — which is very specific to Brazil. “We want to repeat the performance in the next five years”, he said, without mentioning the values already achieved or those intended. The formula for achieving the goal is not secret: innovation. The organic and plant-based food segments, those produced based on vegetables, are on the company’s radar as an option to expand the portfolio. “We have studied the plant-based approach, but we still need to find out the most appropriate way to create partnerships.”
The plan also involves geographic expansion, especially in the North and Northeast regions, and the food service segment is an important support. Today the company has hundreds of thousands of micro-operators, such as restaurants, that consume vegetable-based fats. Each positive factor becomes more valuable because the challenges are significant. In the oil sector, the greater global demand for biodiesel encourages the reduction of the use of fossil fuels, but increases the demand for the raw material. “We had a recent drop in the supply of soy. And we buy the commodity in Brazil at the international price, with the high dollar”, said the executive. “Not to mention the increase in fuel prices, which impacts logistics costs.”
In Lemos’ opinion, the growth plans for this year, specifically, are packed with volatility. We continue in a global pandemic; there is all the influence of climatic effects on agricultural production and, consequently, on the supply of soy and other inputs; and there are still elections, especially the presidential one, which always messes with the economic and financial scenario. “Doing business in Brazil is dealing with this volatile environment,” he said.
ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE The food service started to be served with larger volume containers, which reduces the consumption of plastic material. More than that, the company has helped its customers, and their customers, to give a better destination to what can be recycled. In 11 years, it managed to recycle 7 million liters of oil that were delivered to its more than 3,000 collection points. One liter of oil contaminates up to 25,000 liters of water. This oil ends up being used in the production of biodiesel and even generating social impact. “There are families that work with it,” said Lemos. The plastic packaging in which the oil is delivered becomes raw material for building new collection points.
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