LOS ANGELES, CA – Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms has announced a milestone for the company’s first grower partner; Agroexport de Sonora S.A. out of Hermosillo, Mexico, grower of Dulcinea® PureHeart® Mini Seedless Watermelons, has completed a strict audit to achieve Fair Trade certification through SCS Global Services (SCS).

“Our commitment to socially responsible agriculture is a key component in selecting and building our grower partnerships,” noted Josh Leichter, General Manager. “We will continue to work with these partners to expand the volume of product we can offer with Fair Trade certification.”

In a company press release, Dulcinea noted that Fair Trade certification works to build sustainable livelihoods for farmers and farmworkers across the globe by strengthening their communities.

“At Agroexport, the quality of life of the employees been always one of our top priorities,” said Juan Carlos Coppel R, General Manager. “This achievement means a lot of hard work and investment, but at the end it’s a win for all. We work on constant improvement; this reinforces our partnership with Dulcinea, which is very important for us.”

Fair Trade certification works through rigorous standards that help uphold farmworkers’ fundamental human rights and establish safe working conditions—and through initiatives like the Community Development Fund, which provide extra income that farmworkers earn with every Fair Trade sale. These funds that allow farming communities to invest in critical community projects like education, safety equipment, environmental protection, and healthcare, as well.

“Being able to offer our customers Dulcinea melons with the Fair Trade certification provides confidence for the consumer that they are using their purchasing power to improve the communities where the food they feed their families is grown,” explained Micki Dirtzu Charley, Director of Marketing. “According to the 2017 Cone Communications CSR Study, 63 percent of Americans are hopeful businesses will take the lead in driving social and environmental change. 87 percent will purchase a product from a brand that is aligned with their values and 76 percent will refuse to purchase a brand that goes against their values. We know corporate citizenship matters to consumers.”

Dulcinea Farms will start shipping certified Fair Trade Certified™ PureHeart Mini Seedless Watermelons and Organic PureHeart Mini Seedless Watermelons in early October of this year.

For more on company milestones, and exceptional produce offerings in our industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.

Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms