Guadalajara, Jal. The most representative drink of Mexico, the tequilawas the first alcoholic beverage in the world to be certified as deforestation-free, after implementing actions such as the ARA (Environmental Responsible Agave) certification, which guarantees that the tequila was made with agaves planted in plots that did not cause deforestation.
For actions like this, as well as his work to reduce carbon emissions and care for water in the tequila agroindustry, the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) received the award as “Exceptional Company” granted by the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), the Institute for the Promotion of Quality, and the organization Business Voice, Communication Council.
In this edition, 104 companies and institutions of different fields registered 137 practices in favor of the environment, of which 23 were recognized as “developing practices”, 76 as “good practices” and 39 as “exceptional practices”, a category in in which the CRT was recognized for its work in favor of caring for the environment in the agave-tequila production chain.
Since 2015, the Tequila Regulatory Council, in coordination with the Mario Molina Center for Strategic Studies on Energy and the Environment, launched the sustainability strategy for the agave-tequila chain, which established goals for the reduction of carbon emissions and consumption of water for the years 2020, 2025 and 2030.
According to the conformity assessment body, in 2020 a reduction in the direct carbon footprint of 6.4% was achieved per liter of tequila, and 31.5% per kilogram of agave in the agricultural sector.
Meanwhile, with the ARA certification, it is expected that by 2027, 100% of the agave cultivated for the production of tequila will come from areas with zero deforestation.
According to the evaluation committee for the recognition of Exceptional Companies, in terms of sustainable development in the dimension of caring for the environment, the CRT registers the greatest progress since it is a model derived from collaboration with European countries.
“This recognition is a sign that things are being done well, but it is also a commitment to continue advancing along the same lines because this work is ongoing and there are still many things to do,” said the president of the CRT, Miguel Ángel Domínguez.
