SAN DIEGO, CA - Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce’s GoodFarms™ brand has received the coveted 2018 Communitas Award in recognition of its focus on benefitting its employees, communities, and the environment.

“We are honored to receive this award based on the work we do for our workers and in our community, but our good work wouldn't have as much impact without the help of our partners, especially Costco Wholesale and Equitable Food Initiative,” said John Farrington, Chief Operating Officer. “Their leadership has helped us implement wide changes on our farms and has generated $4.3 million in worker bonuses since 2014.”

According to a press release, the Communitas Awards are an outgrowth of the pro bono recognition program of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, which was founded in 1995 to support those who contribute their unique marketing and communication talents to public service and charitable organizations.

“We nominated GoodFarms because it is an industry leader in social responsibility that deeply cares about doing the right thing. It works to protect the environment with a wide range of sustainable business practices, and most importantly, it cares about employees, both in and out of the fields,” stated LeAnne Ruzzamenti, Director of Marketing and Communications for Equitable Food Initiative. “We applaud the leadership efforts of GoodFarms, and we’re glad to see the business community recognize its work with this Communitas Award.”

Below are just a few of the efforts GoodFarms have made in the area of social responsibility:

• Ten of GoodFarms’ growing operations in Mexico and California have been third-party certified by Equitable Food Initiative
• GoodFarms employees are encouraged to submit ideas to improve equipment and processes
• GoodFarms hosts a clothing closet and food pantry to support off-season workers and help them provide their families with educational opportunities and long-term ties to the community
• GoodFarms is focused on finding alternatives for hazardous pesticides and reducing food waste by using imperfect fruits and vegetables
• GoodFarms produces cold-pressed organic juice that uses around 20 percent of the strawberries that the company grows but is unable to sell as fresh because of size or appearance

 “What differentiates our product and approach is our focus on people. We train and empower farmworkers to be part of the quality and food safety process to ensure our berries and vegetables are the highest quality while implementing sustainable techniques and creating better work environments,” noted Amalia Zimmerman-Lommel, Director of Social Responsibility for GoodFarms.

Congratulations to Andrew & Williamson on this well-deserved award!

Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce GoodFarms™ Equitable Food Initiative