Land Lovers

Sponsored by Del Monte Fresh Produce

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Del Monte Fresh Produce is acutely aware of the Importance of being good stewards of the environment and responsible citizens of the communities where we operate.

“Sustainability is a focus for our business and, like many other businesses, we began by introducing programs that reduced our consumption of resources,” says Dionysios Christou, vice-president of Marketing. “We were early adopters of plastic recycling on our banana farms, working collaboratively with competitors to implement solutions to shared challenges. We subsequently introduced drip irrigation systems on our pineapple farms to reduce water consumption and went on to identify ways to support biodiversity by creating nature reserves bordering arable areas.”

During this time, through Del Monte’s global sustainability programs, the company has been able to supply more than 11 million trees for reforestation, provide support to local communities and create sustainable forestry for pallet production.

“We’ve also set aside more than 8,600 hectares of land for conservation and are proud to support more than 3,000 students each year through scholarships or other school support,” adds Christou.

Del Monte’s business philosophy centres around the belief that sustainably should be a priority for every business, but agriculture-based businesses should lead the way and create momentum for other industries to follow. “After all, all of our futures depend on conserving our natural resources,” says Christou.

The company believes addressing sustainability issues is critical to the future of the planet, the people and its business.

“A global effort to implement sustainable practices and programs is crucial to protect the health of our planet,” says Christou. “Because we’re vertically integrated, we would encourage and rely on others in our supply chain to reduce their impact on water use, carbon footprint and fuel economy.”

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