In 2021, Soroptimist International Costa del Sol began to participate in the United Nations General Assembly manifesto to find ways to make our local food system more sustainable, inclusive and resilient.
To do this they introduced the Soroptimist Award to raise awareness about local businesses and organisations who work towards sustainability.
Second Soroptimist Awards presented
On the 19th of October 2023 the second Soroptimist Awards were presented, the personalised awards were made by Alfajar, a family business, creating ceramic pottery in ancient shapes from the Mediterranean area, working with natural paint, making the awards beautiful sustainable pieces of art.
The event took place at the Mijas Town Hall. During the presentation of the winners, the video “Cooking with Soroptimist” filmed on location in Mijas by OjitodeGato Productions was shown for the first time. In the video Antonia and Antonio from Mijas explain how to prepare gazpacho and salmorejo Mijas style, tasty local seasonal dishes, which are easy to prepare. Another initiative of the Soroptimist to promote a more sustainable lifestyle.
Five winners were chosen
The 18 candidates came from different parts of the Malaga province, and 5 winners were chosen; in the following categories
- Food Cultivation and Distribution: Familia Hevilla from Coin, who have been cultivating land in the Guadalhorce Valley for generations, producing vegetables and fruits in a 100% ecological way.
- Sustainable production: the ecological farm Las Pencas, a family business in Entrerríos, Mijas producing and selling organic eggs without antibiotics and without genetic modifications and very important for the jury, treat their animals with respect.
- Education and Awareness: Asociación para la Agroecología Mediterránea a non-profit association, founded in 2005 in Malaga by a group of people with different professional profiles seeking to promote a model of fair rural development and sustainable food systems in favour of food sovereignty.
- Innovation and technology: Spiga Negra, they grow quality cereals and work on the recovery of forgotten wheat varieties to create organic and artisan pastas.
- Sustainable restaurant: Puente Romano Hotel & Restaurant in Marbella, a unique project, growing their own vegetables in a 100% organic way, saving water and recycling of all waste.
Thanks and acknowledgements
“It was a joy to work with a panel of judges who are so knowledgeable, all working towards more sustainability in their own way: Fundación Aula del Mar, Justicia Alimentaria, Red Cross Málaga and Sabor a Málaga, this Award would not be impossible without their support” says SI Costa del Sol President Daphne Theunissen. “We were also happy to have Costa Women on board, they helped us to promote the Award. We also want to thank the Foreigners Department of Mijas, who let us use the main meeting room at the Town Hall for the presentation and the patios with the fountains for the catering, and Mijas Comunicación for covering the event”.
SI Costa del Sol is part of a worldwide Non-Governmental Organisation with more than 66,000 members in 120 countries, all professional women who want to help empower, enable and educate women and children.
For more information visit our website: www.costadelsol.soroptimist.es or send an email to soroptimist.fsd@gmail.com and follow the association on Facebook and Instagram: Soroptimist International Costa del Sol.
