Chiquita Brands International marked yesterday's (22 April) Earth Day event by sending employees from the company's headquarters in Charlotte out of the office and into the community.

According to the fresh produce giant, volunteers from the group spent the day in several local community gardens and at three local schools working to improve their gardens and teach students about sustainability.

'Chiquita is and has been committed to improving the communities in which our employees work and live,' said Ed Lonergan, Chiquita's president and CEO. 'Activities like these reflect our strong belief that we are in this world to make it better by improving lives, loving our planet and leading our industry.'

In addition, Chiquita's global colleagues also put the company's beliefs into action during Earth Day, with volunteers from across the world taking part in Earth Day activities and learning sessions.

In the tropics, company volunteers planted more than 1,000 trees in communities surrounding Chiquita's banana farms, with each site giving these activities a special touch. In Guatemala for example, every individual labelled their tree with their name as a symbolic gesture of committing to the protection and well-being of these critical assets to their communities, the group revealed.

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