Chilean avocado grower and packer Cabilfrut has exported its first avocados from Rainforest Alliance certified farms to the European market.
Two containers of fruit left the Port of Valparaiso in early December to arrive in Rotterdam in time for the Christmas holidays. They were received by Greenyard and OGL.
Three of the company’s farms have been Rainforest Alliance certified so far — Agricola Pililen, Agricola Huerto Cancarucas and Agricola La Loica. Two additional farms have been audited and are awaiting final certification, as well as six additional farms that are preparing for audits in 2018.
Overall, these farms represent 300 ha of certified fruit for 2017, with an additional 2,000 ha due for certification in 2018.
Sandra Alvarez Rojas, Cabilfrut’s quality control and certification manager, worked diligently to ensure the certifications were obtained in a timely manner to provide European clients with Rainforest Alliance certified fruit before the end of 2017.
According to Alvarez, “this is an important certification and our work with these farms and others will continue to expand,” said Sandra Alvarez Rojas, Cabilfrut’s quality control and certification manager.
“We worked closely with Diego Verdesia from Greenyard and Mauricio Ferro Rettig from CyD Certifiers. Their expertise streamlined the entire process in obtaining the certifications.”
Cabilfrut’s president, Juan Pablo Cerda, said the process of certification was very extensive, but something that he felt was important for the European market.
“Earning the Rainforest Alliance seal for our ranches helps to show our buyers and final consumers that we are complying with comprehensive standards that take into account conserving natural resources, agricultural sustainability and protecting people at all levels in the supply chain,” said Cerda.
