Cantero de Letur leads the production of organic goat’s milk. The transformation of traditional livestock farming into a local production model has made the Encomienda del Segura region the first producer of organic goat’s milk in Spain.
To achieve this, the adoption of a suburban production model and the use of technology to provide effective facilities that are committed to the environment have played a key role.
This process, which is slow and the result of the increase in the marketing of Cantero de Letur products, has managed to generate a new livestock farming activity in the region. An activity that has much greater added value, both in terms of employment and economic results, for families that previously practiced traditional cattle farming, for example.
The driving force behind this goat revolution is the leading company in the production of organic dairy products, Cantero de Letur. Based on its commitment to sustainable development goals and the economic growth of the region. The company from the province of Albacete has pushed for the switch from traditional meat farming to dairy farming. A variant with greater added value both economically and for local employment due to the growing demand for organic dairy products.
The milk that the company processes comes from both its own land and from local farmers. About 85% of all the milk the company needs in the heart of the Sierra del Segura is produced nearby, less than 35 km from the facilities. This enables significant logistics savings and minimizes environmental impact.
Km.0 productive model
In turn, this Km.0 production model generates stable employment for residents and farmers in a region plagued by depopulation. This positive dynamic has extended to the city of Letur. Where the population has grown in recent months.
Pablo Cuervo-Arango, director of Cantero de Letur, comments. “We have managed to implement a system in the region that produces Km.0 milk, taking advantage of local livestock. And involving a large part of the nearby primary sector.
Our activity relies on technology to realize an organic reference farm in Europe and has not lost sight of the principles that have supported this family since its creation. The commitment to animal welfare, the SDGs and the development of the region. With these rules we produce food with our characteristic quality properties. And we distribute them throughout Spain and export the Letur brand.”
An avant-garde farm
However, all these productive efforts are enhanced by Cantero de Letur’s avant-garde facilities. The goat farm has an area of 292 hectares. And a covered area of 1,200 m² for almost 3,000 goats.
This means that in the stables the dairy signature exceeds the surface area required by the ecological standard by 15%. And 100% in the case of terraces, where the animals need twice as much space.
To improve the performance of the farms and reduce the impact on the environment, approximately 30% of the energy consumed is self-generated through a large photovoltaic installation on the roof of the structure. Preventing 195 tons of carbon dioxide per year from entering the environment.
The campaigns in favor of the SDGs also aim to minimize the company’s water footprint through a rainwater recovery system that can store approximately 3,000 m³. Almost a million liters per year from the roofs of the goat farm alone. In addition, this water is also heated for use by recovering heat from the cooling tanks; with which a circular energy cycle can be closed.
As part of its brand philosophy, Cantero de Letur uses certified organic milk in all its products to achieve high quality products without giving up a powerful taste that marks a distinctive milestone.
All this is possible thanks to the meticulous care their animals receive, with large stables and natural spaces where the animals can move freely, and with GMO-free and 100% certified organic food.
About Cantero de Letur
Cantero de Letur is the pioneer company in Spain in the production of organic dairy products with more than thirty years of history. It is currently the Spanish market leader in its segment. And there is a wide range of organic dairy products made from goat’s, cow’s and sheep’s milk.
Since its founding, the company has maintained a strong social commitment to the rural area of Letur, where it is located. And it has become a fundamental pillar in the economy of this region of Albacete, generating more than 100 jobs for its inhabitants.
The dairy company is present on the organic refrigerated market. Especially with yoghurt and kefir (they represent 80% of turnover with a volume of 2,560 tonnes). In addition to fresh pasteurized milk and pasteurized white cheeses.
The quality of the products is based on extensive farms where each animal has an outdoor space twice as large as required by ecological criteria. And as a result, they can obtain approximately 2 million liters annually between goats and cows. Cantero de Letur leads the production of organic goat’s milk.