Procesavo, the company that collects and pays importers and distributors for their rejected and damaged avocado’s across Europe, was started by agribusiness entrepreneurs Jose Antonio Aguilera and Sergio Perez-Borbujo to solve their own problems.
Jose Antonio Aguilera and Sergio Perez-Borbujo, founders of Procesavo
"Our service become very popular because avocado season is the whole year round from different origins. Depending on the season we principally pick up pallets from Holland, France, Spain and sometimes Austria, Poland and Romania. We try to be in any place where rejected avocado is," says Antonio Aguilera co-founder of Procesavo.
They developed Procesavo after many years in the fresh fruit business through their company Sifresh, a sister company of the group dedicated to the production, export, and import of fresh fruit. "We noticed the significant waste that exists in this market, starting from production, followed by packaging, international transportation, ripening, and sale to the final consumer. Unfortunately, we have also had to deal with quality issues like everyone else in this business, as perishable goods always carry the risk of damage if any point in the supply chain fails," explains Antonio Aguilera co-founder of Procesavo.
"Upon realizing the magnitude of the situation, they started analyzing possible solutions and conducting further research on the topic to develop what is now Procesavo. After months of research, they successfully adapted the existing technology used for olive oil to extract avocado oil, as the process is very similar, and the fruits have similar physical characteristics. In addition to that, avocado oil utilizes the entire fruit, including the skin and pit. It is a monounsaturated fat with a high oleic acid content, offering multiple health benefits, and its smoke point is higher than that of most oils, making it recommended for use at high temperatures. This makes it a product with many advantages and different uses for both human consumption and the industry," says Perez-Borbujo.
At Procesavo, they have managed to understand the fruit flows, ripening times, percentage of dry matter according to the season, waste, quality, and how different origins and varieties are viable for oil extraction. Extensive knowledge in the field is necessary as the process is complex, and achieving the supply of thousands of tons annually is crucial. Moreover, having an appropriate logistics strategy and specific machinery is essential. Additionally, the company has invested in creating a compact, easy-to-transport, and highly efficient extraction equipment.
The company firmly believes that the circular economy is the future. After completing the oil extraction process, they realized that it generated a wet paste that had no value for the industry. However, together with another company in the group, The Sustainable Cereal, they conducted research and discovered its high protein content and potential uses. As a result, they decided to dry it, transform it, and generate value for the animal feed industry of large species, turning it into a sustainable plant-based protein that largely substitutes other more expensive components. In this way, they complete the cycle of avocado transformation, making them one of the most vertically integrated companies in the world in the sector.
"Procesavo uses any type of avocado regardless of its origin, size, or whether it has suffered any damage during the exportation or ripening process or does not meet the necessary quality standards. We collect the avocados from suppliers' warehouses throughout Europe and take them to our processing plant, where they are prepared for oil extraction at our plant in the Netherlands. We respond quickly to the supplier and pay them for the damaged avocados within a period of no more than 48 hours after invoice," concludes Perez-Borbujo.
For more information:
Jose Antonio Aguilera and Sergio Perez-Borbujo
Procesavo Europa
Tel: +34 662 925 500
Email: [email protected]
www.procesavo.com