NOGALES, AZ - What better way to celebrate hardworking growers than the announcement of yet another impressive milestone? Divine Flavor has revealed its new Jalisco, Mexico, grape operation at Grupo Alta-Don Mario is its latest ranch to become Fair Trade Certified™. This announcement couldn’t come at a better time, as the agriculture industry pays homage to all the dedicated farm workers around the globe during National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW).

“To grow the freshest and healthiest products, it starts with treating the land and people with respect,” said Carlos Bon, Vice President of Sales, Divine Flavor. “This has always been Divine Flavor’s core philosophy to take care of its workers and having a partner such as Fair Trade USA allows us to fulfill our promise of taking care of them.”

Divine Flavor and its farms have produced over 233 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified goods since 2013, all of which are verified through the fair trade auditing standard, according to a company release, which ensures that farm workers are treated fairly, provided competitive working wages, and are taken care of in terms of amenities such as continued education, healthcare, and comfortable living conditions. The supplier puts a great focus on certifying all of its growing locations under this standard.

Divine Flavor has been a long-standing partner of Fair Trade USA, working with Grupo Alta to create programs that have resulted in over $6.5 million worth of Fair Trade Community Development funds being returned to farm workers and their families.

“Divine Flavor has been a close partner of Fair Trade USA for the past decade, and we're excited to support them as they continue to expand their Fair Trade Certified program to include their new Jalisco site,” said Jesse Appelman, Director of Fresh Goods at Fair Trade USA. “This comes at a great time as it’s Farmworker Awareness Week and their recent certification will bring approximately 1,100 more workers under the protection of our standards and benefiting from Fair Trade community development funds.”

As a committed partner of Fair Trade USA, Divine Flavor provides a wide rande of Fair Trade Certified products including table grapes, bell peppers, and many other produce commodities, while staying true to its commitment to its employees, customers, and partners.

“It is our responsibility as farmers to promote safe and healthy environments which leave positive impacts on the world and the communities we live in,” says Bon. “This is a standard our retailer partners expect, the transparency consumers want, and the dignity our employees deserve.”

Keep an eye out for ANUK as we bring you the latest in fresh produce news.

Divine Flavor