Community of bakers is a capacity-building project for the baking sector that aims to generate added value in its products.
With the purpose of strengthening capacities and contributing to improving skills in the baking sector, we carry out the Community of Bakers project.
This is one of our main sustainability programs that focuses on the development of the value chain of the baking community, as it is intended to help generate added value to the products of this important sector.
“As Alicorp, we have a great purpose: We feed a Better Tomorrow. For us, feeding is more than giving food. Feeding is also inspiring and helping to grow, which is why we develop projects that strengthen our strategic partners such as master bakers,” said Cynthia Valencia, our Corporate Affairs Manager in Bolivia.
We work on sustainability based on three pillars: environment; welfare; and value chain development. The Community of Bakers program responds precisely to this last pillar. Between 2022 and 2023, we reached nearly 700 master bakers from the cities of El Alto, La Paz and Santa Cruz, who benefited from the 8 trainings that we organized in coordination with the Federation of Bakers.
“In these courses, our clients had the opportunity to corroborate the quality of new butters such as Gordito and Masapan, as well as learn cost management and optimization,” said Jaime Hamel, Head of B2B Marketing.
The result is encouraging for the bakers: “We want the bread to turn out well, for the entire population to be satisfied, so we will attract more customers,” said one of them during a visit to the markets where their products are sold.
The work carried out by our Community of Bakers program is based on 4 pillars: Consultative Development, Workshops, Digital Area and Alliance with the Federation of Bakers.
At Consultative Development we provide personalized monitoring and technical support to each individual client. In Santa Cruz, the first results were already achieved with a pilot in a pastry shop. With the support provided and with established goals, we contribute to raising the quality of our products and this directly impacts the improvement of the sales and billing of each baker.
In the Digital Area we have WhatsApp groups, which builds an interactive community, through which training courses are disseminated in capsules, as well as useful information and tips for the baking sector.
As for workshops, key activities are planned for 2024. Among them, the development of a specific curriculum to be worked on at the diploma level with certification from a technical institution. It is also planned to support important activities for the sector within the framework of Baker's Day, this is to support sports activities, as well as sustain the sponsorship provided to the sector.
“With my efforts I have been improving. My daughter studied pastry and what they learn in institutes is not the same as what is learned by making bread…by tasting and tasting the product,” said one of the bakers from Santa Cruz who was part of the Community of Bakers training.
“We promote a life of well-being for our people and consumers through the search for comprehensive development, the creation of healthy products and environments,” says Jaime Hamel.
“Alicorp manages its business with a sustainability approach, this means making decisions that consider not only the economic impact but also the social and environmental impact. Which is why, from the Community of Bakers, our contribution is to push them to grow in their business with added value and reach them by listening to their needs,” concludes Cynthia Valencia.