CORAL GABLES, FL - Fresh produce is an essential component of any grocery format due to its impact and importance in the daily diets of so many consumers. Helping to ensure that those in need find relief on the fresh produce front, Fyffes North America has made a donation of 10,000 pounds of fresh bananas and pineapples to support the City of Philadelphia’s coordinated hunger relief efforts. This effort was spearheaded by Fyffes North America leadership, representatives from Holt Logistics Corp, the City of Philadelphia, and Philabundance.

“Access to fresh food during the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming an increasingly urgent issue in the Philadelphia area,” said Juan Alarcon, CEO of Fyffes North America. “As the largest importer of fresh fruit into the Port of Philadelphia, we are uniquely suited to address food insecurity at this moment. We are thankful for Mayor Jim Kenney, Holt Logistics, and especially Philabundance for their tireless efforts to provide hunger relief for thousands of residents in Philadelphia and beyond.”

This gesture, executed on Monday, was Fyffes second round of weekly donations. Fyffes and Philabundance delivered the shipment to a warehouse site in Roxborough that has been set up as an emergency operations center to get food to local residents in need, according to a press release.

Nearly 60,000 pounds of product has been sent by Fyffes to city distribution sites so far, according to Philabundance. Fyffes expects additional weekly donations to contain melons and other tropical fruits as the season progresses.

Leading by example, our industry continues to make strides to address the challenges of so many during today’s current climate, and we thank them every day for their charitable acts.

Fyffes North America