The Spanish Association of Soft Drinks (Anfabra) has launched an innovative network of allied municipalities in La Rinconada, with Andalusia as a strategic hub. This initiative, presented by Beatriz Blasco, Anfabra's general director, primarily aims to foster the involvement of sector companies in the development of the localities where they operate, through various activities ranging from festivals to gastronomic events.
The choice of La Rinconada for this launch is not coincidental, as the municipality hosts two important factories in the sector, Coca-Cola and Refrescos Iberia. This fact underscores Andalusia's relevance to the industry, which has 23 activity centers distributed across 16 municipalities in the eight Andalusian provinces, including five key production centers in La Rinconada, Córdoba, Atarfe (Granada), and El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz).
In Andalusia, there are 23 activity centers in 16 municipalities.
The economic impact of the sector in the region is substantial, contributing 1.4 billion euros to the Gross Value Added (GVA), of which 600 million euros are direct, according to a report by the consulting firm AFI. Furthermore, it generates approximately 23,000 jobs across the entire value chain, with 12,000 direct positions. The soft drink industry in Andalusia represents 14% of the national productive fabric of the sector, and it has been observed that municipalities with this industry's presence experience population growth and average incomes exceeding 33,000 euros annually.
Regarding sustainability, the sector has made significant progress in reducing sugar content, decreasing it by 46% since 2005. Currently, 60% of soft drinks sold in Spain are low or zero-calorie. Likewise, the evolution towards more sustainable packaging has been prioritized, with 89% of reusable packaging in the hospitality sector, which can have a lifespan of up to 10 years, and a significant incorporation of recycled material, such as 60% in PET packaging.
89% of packaging in the hospitality sector is reusable and can have a lifespan of up to 10 years.
The industry has also committed to not directing advertising to minors under 16, recognizing that this audience does not yet possess the cognitive maturity to fully understand commercial messages. This measure aims to promote informed consumption decisions, given the wide variety of products offered by the sector.
