Held from 10 to 12 November, ZOOMARK 2021 was the first international pet trade fair since the start of the pandemic. The Italian city of Bologna hosted the top pet industry representatives, including leading producer and distributor of premium pet foods VAFO. The Czech company conceived its trade fair presentation in the spirit of sustainability and waste reduction, thus upholding the commitments VAFO Group has made within its new long-term sustainability strategy.
At ZOOMARK 2021, VAFO showcased its sustainable business strategy, which encompasses not only the products themselves but also manufacturing and even participation in trade fairs like this one.
The company’s booth was made strictly from sustainable materials and will be reused at similar events. The presentation within the booth went even further and was the only one at the trade fair to not use any printed marketing materials or traditional promotional items such as pens, single-use cups, and so on. ‘All information about the company and products was available to visitors on their mobile phones through a QR code. The decision to not print any paper material saved roughly one ton of paper, which means we saved nine whole trees,’ says VAFO Group marketing manager Tereza Alvarez Sone.
Among the highlights at the VAFO booth were new products in the form of Hau Hau CO2-neutral food, the carbon footprint of which is offset by 120%, Carnilove FRESH MEAT granules made with fresh meat, and the alternative Brit Insect based on insect protein. Insects were also front and centre in the refreshments on offer at the booth, with visitors consuming more than seven kilograms of them over the three days of the fair. In order to further reduce the company’s carbon footprint, no samples from the original ten pallets shipped to the fair returned to the Czech Republic. Leftover samples were donated to the Italian organization LEIDAA, which distributed them to various animal shelters.
Last but not least, VAFO took the trade fair as an opportunity to present the main points of its sustainability commitments through 2025:
- use of local ingredients and demand-based production in European factories to minimize the carbon footprint from transportation;
- all products will be sold in 100% recycled packaging;
- use of sustainable ingredients, such as insect protein;
- the company will continue to pursue production of carbon-neutral pet foods like Hau Hau.
