BUSINESS: 327 PRACTICES
In Northern Greece, in the middle of the fertile valley of Strymonas and just 3 km from the town of Serres, is the state-of-the-art factory of the dairy industry Kri Kri SA.
With a history since 1954, Kri Kri SA today produces ice creams and yogurts from 100% Greek milk from Serres and has managed to win over Greek and foreign consumers.
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It is a 5-year integrated program, which started in 2018 and will be completed in 2023, incorporating different actions every year.
Kri Kri products are produced exclusively from Greek fresh milk from the prefecture of Serres, from exclusive farms under the sun of the fertile Strymonas valley which offers a unique natural wealth and vitamin-rich foods. The area is one of the largest milk production zones in Greece, with the milk produced exceeding 50% of the total domestic production. This place is a source of inspiration for the "Dairy Village", a CSR campaign that promotes the purity of the region and Greek milk, the raw material for our products.
The Strymonas valley is an area included in the NATURA 2000 protection network. A unique beauty, rich in flora and fauna, with great biodiversity and with hundreds of species of animals and plants living in perfect harmony. At least 300 species of birds have been observed in the riverside forest of Lake Kerkini, many of which are rare nationally and internationally. It is considered one of the best places in Europe for natural observation of rare and protected bird species and it is no coincidence that many scientists and amateurs, from all over the world, visit the area for their research.
And this unique area gives us the raw material for Kri Kri products.
We created a unique CSR communication The Milky Way Village to show for the first time the purity and beauty of the area, and we created together with the Lake Management Agency a 5-year support program for the area, building fences to support the bird colonies in the riverside forest of Lake Kerkini and with the contribution of the employees of Kri Kri, tree plantings are being carried out, which in turn will contribute to the preservation of the biodiversity of the area, which had begun to be disturbed by the invasion of pastoralists who brought their herds to graze in the areas where the birds had their nests.
The communication acts to increase the recognition of the beauty of the place while also increasing the visitation and the touristic interest of the area. We have already received information from businessmen of the area about a great increase in interest after the communication in question.
The actions also have a direct effect as they ensure that the bird colonies do not start migrating to other areas due to the gradual destruction of the resting stations that are now being restored.
The Strymonas valley, an area included in the NATURA 2000 protection network.
Intermediate Agency for Kerkini Lake Management
Participation of employees in voluntary tree-planting actions with the suggestion of the Management Agency and in terms of the species planted and in the corresponding fenced areas. Fencing and tree planting are done during the periods when the lake lowers its level due to summer and when the rains start and the level rises, the fences are not visible, only the stakes and the upper parts of the plants that become nests or resting stations for the birds.
The management body of the lake is helped in its very important work since due to a lack of resources it could not act effectively in the preservation of the rare species of birds that find accommodation in the lake and in the riverside forest.
