Westfalia Fruit Reveals Innovative Sustainability Initiatives; Johnathan Sutton Comments
OXNARD, CA - Sustainability remains a hot topic in the industry and at retail as shoppers continue to seek out products that are Earth-friendly. Tapping into this demand, Westfalia Fruit Group has unveiled a series of innovative initiatives to progress its sustainable production mission.
“As a leading multinational supplier of avocados and a range of fresh vegetables and fruit we are committed to protecting precious water resources, reducing waste, and becoming ‘lifetime carbon neutral’ by 2049, the 100-year anniversary of the establishment of our first farm in South Africa,” said Johnathan Sutton, Group Safety and Environmental Executive.
Among these initiatives, water conservation is a key topic, and to support the mitigation of water usage, Westfalia Fruit has introduced a low-flow drip irrigation technique for avocado growing. According to a press release, the method saves a large volume of water and is estimated to bring an overall 50 percent efficiency boost to the farms where it is implemented.
Currently, this low-flow drip irrigation technique is used in several of Westfalia’s farms throughout South Africa, Portugal, Chile, and Mozambique. The technology will eventually be rolled out across the company’s global farming portfolio as old orchards are replanted with new ones.
In addition to water conservation, sustainable packaging has also been an area of innovation for Westfalia. The fresh purveyor has launched a new range of environmentally and consumer-friendly packaging for avocados, reducing the use of plastic while maintaining fruit quality. These cardboard options contain zero plastic, are fully compostable, and are made with FSC certified materials.
Rounding out Westfalia’s new projects, the company will be collaborating with premium beauty brand Dr. Craft, using ground avocado seeds for the company’s products. The ground seeds will replace now banned plastic micro-beads that were once used.
What will be Westfalia’s next cutting-edge project to drive sustainability? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow to find out.
