• Milestones included the investment of more than $2.7 million to reduce its carbon emissions, the registration of more than one million volunteer hours, and key collaborations with INA and the Food Bank.

As we close 2023, FIFCO reports significant progress that brings it closer to meeting its environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. The actions implemented throughout the year are aligned with the FIFCO Trasciende (FIFCO Transcends) strategy, which guides the company’s efforts towards sustainability with a view to 2025.

By 2024, FIFCO plans to continue generating innovative solutions through creativity, systemic thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and continuous learning.

Maria Pia Robles, FIFCO’s Corporate Relations Director, commented, “Sustainability is a corporate priority. We believe that the company’s ability to generate and maintain long-term value in a changing and challenging context is what will allow us to face the company’s present and future with better risk management and greater capitalization of opportunities”.

Science Based Climate Targets (SBTI) and boiler replacement
In 2023, FIFCO joined the global Science Based Target Initiative (SBTI), which aims to promote collaboration and the adoption of scientific targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute assertively to climate resilience.

As part of this initiative, the company will replace a bunker boiler at its brewery with new machinery that runs on electricity. This change will be implemented during 2024, through an investment of $2.7 million, and will enable the reduction of 15,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year, equivalent to 32% of the total emissions of the operation in Costa Rica.

In a next stage, scheduled for 2025 and 2026, three other equipment replacements will be carried out to transform the boilers of the soft drink plants, in order to cut another 5 thousand tons of FIFCO’s carbon footprint in the next five years.

Commitment to circularity
FIFCO adopted the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), from the Ellen McArthur Foundation and Granta Design. With it, the company intends to transform the beverage production to a model in which resources, materials and products remain in circulation within the value chain for as long as possible.

This project not only allows offering products with less environmental impact, but also generates economic opportunities by making resource management more efficient. Its implementation has allowed FIFCO to recover 5,579,001 kilograms of recycled materials and avoid the generation of 1,073 tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in packaging.

One million volunteer hours
In 2023, FIFCO surpassed one million volunteer hours since its beginning in 2008. Employees participated in environmental initiatives, including waste collection; and social initiatives, with visits to educational centers where they gave talks and training on personal and work improvement, among many other causes.

Support to the Food Bank
FIFCO collaborated with historians, writers, nutritionists, renowned Costa Rican chefs and consumers of its products to create the recipe book “Tradiciones Compartidas” (Shared Traditions), a collection of the most traditional dishes of the 7 provinces of Costa Rica. 100% of the profits generated by the sale of the book will be destined to take food to families living in poverty, through the Food Bank.

FIFCO also supported the Food Bank through the project “Ayudar es Pan Comido” (Helping is a Piece of Cake), with which a percentage of the bread sales of the Musmanni bakery chain was donated.

Reserva Conchal promotes sustainable development in Guanacaste
Reserva Conchal, FIFCO’s real estate division in Guanacaste, contributes to the conservation of the environment and the progress of the community through environmental and social initiatives that include the construction of community infrastructure, an apiary and the Najui Agroecological Vegetable Garden, led 100% by local women.  The complex also has a valorization center and a National Wildlife Refuge. This year, in collaboration with McGill University and the SalveMonos organization, a new mobile application was launched to facilitate the reporting and tracking of wildlife accidents.

Dual Education
FIFCO expanded its partnership with the National Learning Institute (INA) to take advantage of the dual education modality. Through this partnership, students of the institution this year had the opportunity to practice their skills in the “Point of Sale Management” programs, at Musi and Musmanni stores; and Kitchen Assistance Operations and Food and Beverage Assistance Operations, at Reserva Conchal restaurants.