VAFO is extending its mutually beneficial collaboration with the Czech University of Life Sciences (CZU) and the school’s Point One enterprise incubator. This is the second consecutive year that VAFO, a pioneer of sustainable enterprise in the pet food industry, has supported student projects in the area of ecological agriculture.
The aim for VAFO in collaborating with CZU is to establish a clearer path to lasting sustainability in the pet industry. Every year, VAFO develops and introduces innovative methods, ingredients, and materials that reduce the company’s impact on the planet. Whether it’s climate-neutral pet food, or packaging made from 100% recyclable materials, each step represents an important breakthrough that brings the industry closer to carbon neutrality. According to the UI GreenMetric, CZU is the greenest university in the Czech Republic, making this collaboration advantageous to both partners.
“We’re very pleased to have reached an agreement on extending our collaboration with CZU, with which VAFO shares many of the same mission values. Not only is the university involved in the food industry, like us, but many of our colleagues earned their degrees there. I believe that this collaboration and the exchange of knowhow will lead to dynamic development on both sides and will give rise to projects that are applicable to our business activities and will ultimately lead to further development of the partnership,” says Petr Kříž, head of M&A at VAFO Group.
VAFO is a pioneer in all areas of the pet food industry, from ingredients and quality to sustainability of the entire production and distribution process. In this regard, it makes perfect sense for the company to support young talents, whose fresh and enthusiastic approach to challenges will drive the continued evolution of pet foods. Mr Kříž had an opportunity to see for himself when he participated in the Point One 2022 best startup competition as a member of the judging panel. He was particularly impressed with a project focusing on a unique product called Živý uhlík (Living Carbon), which shows promise for helping prevent digestive problems in animals.
“From the very beginning, our flagship brand Brit has promoted the concept of prevention by nutrition, and pet health is our number-one priority. That’s why I liked the Živý uhlík project for prevention of digestive problems. I’m glad I could be a part of the competition and see up close a wide variety of interesting projects that will, hopefully, continue to evolve. I was also able to explore several new opportunities for collaboration between CZU and our company,” says Kříž.
The collaboration between VAFO and CZU will give rise to many innovations that not only benefit the pet food industry and move it forward but will also help lessen the impact on the planet of industry in general, both of which have been fundamental objectives of VAFO from its inception.
From left Petr Kříž, David Miklas, Denisa Tichá, Pavlína Louženská, Tomáš Šubrt.
