Fruit World's Bianca Kaprielian and CJ Buxman Discuss Organic Produce Summit Showcase
REEDLEY, CA - We’re heading into the thick of trade show season, and Organic Produce Summit (OPS) is a must-attend for suppliers and buyers alike. Fruit World is gearing up to wow the retailers walking the floor with its organic citrus and table grape programs.
“Our booth will be chock-full of citrus and grapes! Come check out our heritage grapes in our sustainable, recyclable, and compostable paper tote bags. We’ll also showcase California Valencia oranges and summer lemons in our vibrant retail packaging,” Bianca Kaprielian, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, shared with me.
With 2022 marking Fruit World’s fifth anniversary, the company is ecstatic to share this milestone with its customers and grower partners at OPS.
“Fruit World is a fresh and creative produce company with generations of history,” Bianca added, detailing why folks should stop by and learn more. “We grow and ship the most flavorful fruit in California—including organic and conventional citrus, organic grapes, organic stonefruit, and more—and work with customers who share our passion for quality and taste."
Bianca also told me that Fruit World has a lot of exciting plans on the horizon, making it an even stronger supply-side partner.
“Right now, we’re actively working on transitioning more of our citrus acreage into organic. This aligns with our mission of keeping family farming thriving into future generations and, of course, doing this through our lens of sustainability. It’s a three-year transition for certification, so we expect to have more organic citrus in the pipeline in the next year,” CJ Buxman, Co-Founder and Director of Supply explained.
Fruit World is also working on its Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) certification.
“EFI is the most rigorous certification in the industry, addressing 300-plus standards that include labor conditions, food safety, and pest management in all levels of the farming operation. We’re becoming an EFI-certified company to increase assurance around the work environment of our farmworkers across our entire food chain,” CJ noted. “We’re dedicated to our farmworkers and front line workers—EFI certification is one way to assure that all are treated equitably. EFI also assures that our fields maintain the highest food safety and pest management practices.”
With so many operational investments in its sights, Fruit World has much to celebrate—and Bianca is pleased to share this with industry members.
“We’ve come a long way in a short time, and we couldn’t do it without our community,” Bianca remarked. “Our customers and grower partners mean the world to us. We’re looking forward to catching up with current friends, meeting new people, attending some of the awesome educational sessions, and, of course, having some fun!”
Stop by booth #413 to see Fruit World in action!