Mahou San Miguel joins with distributors on sustainability

Spanish beer maker Mahou San Miguel has joined forces with 20 of its domestic distributors in a bid to improve the sustainability of its distribution chain.

The group has provided training aimed at identifying challenges and good practices to integrate sustainability into their businesses. They include innovative urban distribution solutions and technologies for the efficient delivery of goods.

In addition, attendees had the opportunity to hear first-hand testimony about the potential benefits of sustainability for distribution companies.

It’s part of an initiative called ‘We Advance Together’, launched by Mahou San Miguel in 2015, that has reached more than 300 professionals from 150 companies across Spain so far. The Madrid-headquartered company hopes to provide the requisite tools for all its partners – including suppliers and distributors – to implement strong, sustainable practices in their businesses.

Mahou San Miguel argued that a business’ sustainability credentials “positively impact both its economic performance as well as its social and environmental performance”. It pointed out for example that, alongside optimising its distribution chain, the We Advance Together initiative was aimed at reducing the group’s wider greenhouse gas emissions that affect air quality, people’s health, and its distributors’ bottom lines.

Beatriz Herrera, director of sustainability for Mahou San Miguel, added: “Currently, continuing to promote sustainability within the distribution chain is one of the key projects in Mahou San Miguel. For us, our collaborators are a fundamental partner for us to carry out our activity, so we must help them in their development as a company from a three-fold social, environmental and economic aspect.”

Mahou San Miguel is the largest brewing group in Spain, accounting for 70% of the Spanish beer that is drunk in the world. It owns landmark regional beer brands such as San Miguel, Mahou and Alhambra, and was formed when the Madrid-based brewer Mahou bought the remaining 70% stake that it did not already hold in San Miguel from Danone in 2000.