CORAL GABLES, FL - While the normalization of sustainability is immensely positive, companies are having a harder time educating consumers about the steps that they take to nurture our environment. Del Monte Fresh Produce is pulling back the curtain with its latest program, announcing that in February, each Del Monte Gold^® pineapple will feature a new product tag displaying one of six unique Del Monte Fresh sustainability facts.

According to a press release, these facts include statistics surrounding wildlife preservation, recycling initiatives, responsible growth, and scholarship programs in local farming communities. The company intends to engage directly with its consumers, ensuring those purchasing its pineapples and other Del Monte-branded fresh products know they are doing so from an organization committed to building a sustainable future.

“We are proud of our ongoing sustainability efforts and our commitment to secure a better world tomorrow,” said Dennis Christou, Vice President of Marketing. “Sustainability is ingrained in our company values. We not only strive to conduct our business in ethical, socially responsible, and transparent ways due to our respect for our employees and the communities they live in, but we want our consumers to feel good about the food they are eating when enjoying Del Monte Fresh products.”

The six sustainability facts that will be featured on the tags are:

• In Kenya, Del Monte’s protected waterway supports a thriving population of more than 95 hippopotamuses
• Del Monte awarded 640 merit-based scholarships to children in the Central American communities surrounding its farms in 2017
• Since 1995, Del Monte has recycled more than 30,000 tons of plastic used on its banana farms
• Over 1,000 species call Del Monte’s El Tigre Forest Reserve home
• Since redesigning its pineapple boxes in 2000, Del Monte has saved over 160,000 tons of paper
• Over 90 percent of Del Monte’s pineapples are grown on farms that are certified ‘sustainably grown’

As a part of its ongoing efforts, the company will also plant over 700 thousand trees in three years and execute clean water projects that brought convenient and safe access to clean drinking water to thousands of people in Kenya and the Philippines. With this initiative, Del Monte is exceeding its 10-year target for reduction of energy consumption by 20 percent. Del Monte’s recently released Sustainability Report outlines considerable progress in traceability, packaging, agrichemical use, infrastructure development, wellness initiatives, wastewater treatment, and a myriad of other sustainability programs.

Continue reading ANUK as we cover the most innovative sustainability initiatives across the industry.

Del Monte Fresh Produce