Alfalfa Production Center in La Tirana receives national award from UN Global Compact
18/Dec/2023
The project that seeks to combat food shortages among sheep and goats in Pampa del Tamarugal was recognized by Conecta 2023 of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, an instance that seeks to connect companies and their sustainable initiatives that promote the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Compact Principles. The Hydroponic Production Center, also promoted by SQM in La Tirana, was recognized in the following categories: SDG Interconnection and Partnerships.
In recent years, through its Atacama Tierra Fértil Program, SQM has developed several initiatives related to agriculture in areas with extreme weather conditions, building greenhouses and production centers, organizing educational meetings and otherwise strengthening farmers in Chile’s Norte Grande. Over the last two years, it has developed an ambitious project in the interior of La Tirana, in the municipality of Pozo Almonte: The “El Carmelo” Alfalfa Production Center, a joint initiative from SQM, CONAF and the Pampa del Tamarugal Aymara Indigenous Association.
There are currently 15 hectares planted there, out of a total of 30 hectares contemplated in the full plan, which also includes a modern photovoltaic plant to operate water pumps and automatic irrigation without conventional energy consumption or environmental pollution, making it the largest, most sustainable alfalfa project in northern Chile.
Richards Challapa, president of the Pampa del Tamarugal Aymara Indigenous Association, participated in the award ceremony and highlighted the recognition, noting that “it is a three-party project where 17 Aymara families with about 5,000 head of cattle have been able to work in the production center. We found a great ally in SQM, which not only has a social responsibility, but also a willingness to develop a project that will have a real impact on Pampa del Tamarugal, applying innovation to, for example, prevent water evaporation and use the resource efficiently.”
From northern Chile, SQM ratifies its commitment to care for the environment through initiatives that help develop a more sustainable industry, focusing on responsible production and consumption of natural resources and the protection of the planet, objectives that are directly related to the 2030 Agenda promoted by the United Nations through its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to which SQM adheres.
SQM Board Chairman Gonzalo Guerrero underscored the importance of the recognition: “SQM is a sustainable company. Today we have earned three awards that fill us with pride, as they reflects the work that the Nitrates-Iodine division is developing together with the community. Our conviction has always been to work with communities to sustainably develop our surroundings and environment.”
La Tirana Greenhouse
At the Conecta 2023 awards ceremony, the Pozo Almonte Agricultural Research and Development Center, also located in La Tirana, received two awards in the categories of SDG Interconnection and Partnerships.
SQM has been partnering with the municipality of Pozo Almonte and the La Semilla Foundation on this project for the past four years. The facility boasts more than one thousand square meters of infrastructure, including a modern greenhouse, a cheese factory with a production permit and meeting areas and restrooms.
Richard Godoy, mayor of Pozo Almonte, who received the award together with SQM executives, highlighted: “This center has allowed us to do research, but it has also built a model that has been replicated in other locations in the north. In addition, in La Tirana we have a cheese factory with a production permit, which has been used by our farmers to expand their knowledge of goat milk by-products.”
One of its main objectives is to grow hydroponic products using a water resource optimization system and temperature sensors to automatically control the interior climate. It also seeks to promote research and studies to develop agriculture under extreme climatic conditions.
“This center also has an important educational commitment. Through agreements with universities and high schools in the regions of Antofagasta and Tarapacá, we have conducted several guided tours. In recent weeks, we held the second version of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Meeting, which brought together more than 200 people, including farmers, entrepreneurs, students and professionals from the field,” said Pablo Pisani, SQM’s Corporate Affairs Manager for Nitrates and Iodine.
In addition to this work in the district of Pozo Almonte, there are currently various agricultural and livestock initiatives in towns like Bajo Soga, Colonia Pintados, Caleta Urco, Quillagua, María Elena, among others, whose main objective is to strengthen local economic activity and desert farming.