• More than 400 companies are part of FIFCO’s Sustainable Procurement Program
• In 2024, 104 companies achieved the “Outstanding” level and 33 obtained the highest “World Class” rating

As part of its commitment to a sustainable value chain, FIFCO held a special recognition event for suppliers who have achieved the highest environmental, social and governance standards within its Sustainable Procurement Program. This platform—active since 2010—promotes responsible business relationships by evaluating suppliers’ performance in key aspects of sustainability and encouraging continuous improvement.

In 2024, the program evaluated a total of 414 suppliers, the highest number since its launch, with coverage continuing to increase year after year. Of these, 76% obtained scores above 80 points, while 104 achieved an “Outstanding” rating, reflecting the commitment and continuous improvement in their sustainable performance. In turn, a total of 33 companies achieved a score of over 100 points, a category that FIFCO recognizes as “World Class.”

This recognition event—held on April 4, as part of the company’s expansive sustainability strategy—aimed to make leading suppliers visible, encourage other allies to follow their example, and create a space for exchanging experiences and good practices. The main objective is to recognize companies that have worked to achieve high standards in environmental, social and governance issues. Representatives of these companies participated, as well as leaders of FIFCO and strategic allies, who shared tools, lessons learned and opportunities to strengthen sustainability throughout the value chain.

“At Sánchez Gómez Ingeniería S.A., with 27 years of experience in the market and more than 20 years of commercial relationship with FIFCO, we have found in the Sustainable Procurement Program a benchmark and a guide that encourages us to keep improving. For us, being a World Class supplier implies a commitment to quality, environmental responsibility and our team’s development. This recognition reflects the constant effort to offer a service that exceeds the expectations of our customers,” said María Milagro Sánchez Gómez, Business Director of Sánchez Gómez Ingeniería.

Since its inception, the Sustainable Procurement Program has operated as a comprehensive support platform. It provides technical advice, field audits, training sessions and volunteering opportunities shared with the company. During 2024, four training sessions were held —three virtual and one face-to-face— with the participation of 239 attendees from 29 companies. In addition, FIFCO promoted participation in the volunteering program “Elegí Ayudar” (I Chose to Help) and this was reflected in 280 hours contributed by suppliers in environmental and social initiatives.

“Sustainability is not built in isolation. At FIFCO we deeply believe in the power of alliances and in the value of driving real change from the value chain, this as part of our Expansive Sustainability philosophy. Recognizing our most committed suppliers is a way of honoring their efforts, but also of inspiring our entire network to continue evolving with purpose. Sustainable Procurement is more than an evaluation: it is a platform for shared growth that allows us to move towards a model of regenerative development,” said Maria Pía Robles, FIFCO’s Director of Corporate Relations.

The fact that 84% of the companies participating in 2024 were local, as well as representing an increase of 5% compared to the previous year, reinforces FIFCO’s commitment to sustainability with a national impact. Furthermore, 16% of the companies evaluated in 2024 had international certifications and 8% have already begun to replicate the program model within their own operations, thus expanding its positive reach.

What does it mean to be a World Class supplier? It is awarded to the company that, in addition to achieving the highest score in the evaluation of the Sustainable Procurement Program (100 points), obtains additional points for implementing voluntary actions such as environmental certifications, equity programs, emissions reduction, volunteering and other good practices as a result of its commitment and investment of resources

This is the list of suppliers in the “World Class” category

Suppliers (A to Z)

All Pack (Inversiones Cafetaleras Arimon)

CAFE BRITT COSTA RICA S.A.

Centro Logístico TICAL/ TRANSPORTES INTERNACIONALES TICAL

CLIMA IDEAL S.A.

Comercializadora Berlau S.A.

Compañía Nacional de Chocolates DCR S.A.

CRG Soluciones

DHL

Dibu Gas Transportes

DIVERSEY COSTA RICA S.D.R.L.

ECOLAB S.R.L.

EMPRESAS BERTHIER EBI DE COSTA RICA

Flora Vitae Comercial, S.A.

FOTOLIT SOCIEDAD ANONIMA (Smurfit Kappa)

GASOLINERA BARRANTES Y VARGAS, S.A.

Gourmet Import

ILG Supply Chain Services S.A.

INGRUP: EMPAQUES Y PRODUCTOS PLASTICOS| EPP (CR distribution)

Kerry Costa Rica

Laboratorio Químicos AGQ

LIGA IND DE LA CAÑA DE AZUCAR (LAICA)

Multiprosa

PLATAFORMA INTERNACIONAL REAL S.A.

PRAXAIR COSTA RICA, S.A.

PRODUCTOS FLORIDA S.A.

Proyectos Ambientales SA (Proamsa)

Quirós y Compañía (retreading workshop)

REFRIGERACION OMEGA S.A.

SANCHEZ GOMEZ INGENIERIA S.A.

SERVICIOS AMBIENTALES GEOCYCLE, S.A.G.

SONDEL S.A.

Titzian S.A.

Vapor y Enfriamiento S.A (Vapensa)

Opportunities for 2025: strengthening expansion and traceability

Looking to the future, the main challenges include expanding the scope of the program to suppliers outside the countries where FIFCO operates, generating new production chains through strategic alliances, and incorporating all suppliers in critical categories under this evaluation tool. Work is also underway on a new corporate platform to improve the traceability of the real status of suppliers, as well as on the alignment of global certifications with the company’s evaluation methodology.

With this initiative, FIFCO continues to demonstrate that its triple bottom line strategy —economic, social and environmental— transcends its direct operations, integrating its network of suppliers into a business model that seeks to generate shared value and long-term sustainability.