Group joins with Berries Pride to take “significant steps” in increasing the sustainability of avocado and blueberry production
Nature’s Pride, its sister company Berries Pride and growers are joining forces for CO2 reduction and WASH initiatives, as they look to increase the sustainability of avocado and blueberry production.
The public-private partnership will implement concrete initiatives together with growers to reduce CO2 emissions and improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
The group said that the solutions would contribute to a living environment that was good for people and nature, emphasising its commitment to a “future-proof value chain”.
”In 2023 we and Berries Pride, in partnership with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RvO), initiated a project aimed at identifying and reducing the sustainability risks involved in the production of avocados and berries,” Nature’s Pride stated.
”Based on this study, forward-thinking growers were selected to tackle these risks and increase chain sustainability.
”The project involves two of our partner growers: ACP from Peru and ZZ2 in South Africa,” the group explained. “Our goal is to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene and reduce CO2 emissions.”
Among other things, the multi-year project will investigative possibilities to install drinking points, improve sanitation facilities and introduce awareness campaigns and training for employees.
Ways of measuring the impact of the initiatives taken by growers to reduce CO2 emission, such using natural compost and energy-efficient transport, will also be explored, the group outlined.
Another part of the project focuses on developing methods that can be used to easily scale up WASH and CO2 reduction initiatives to other products and production regions.
Nature’s Pride said the project also provided a platform to share the insights gained by the participating companies so they could inspire other growers to join in and make the sector more sustainable.
The ultimate objective is to create a sustainable, future-proof value chain with attention and respect for people and nature.
“We are convinced that our vision and mission share the same values as Nature’s Pride,” said Pamela Gomez, superintendent of resource management and sustainability at ACP.
”In addition, the joint project contributes to the goals outlined in our sustainability plan, while collaboration with our client is coherently integrated into ACP’s sustainability strategy.”
Hendus Janse van Rensburg, agricultural economist at ZZ2, said his company believed sustainability was not just a goal, but a responsibility.
”This collaboration allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sustainable farming, from CO2 reduction to improving water and hygiene standards,” he commented. ”By working together, we are building a future where agriculture supports both people and the planet.”
Nature’s Pride emphasised that creating a future-proof value chain was inextricably linked with commercial success and sustainability, especially so in the current context of climate change, increasingly strict legislation in this area and growing consumer awareness.
By partnering with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and growers ACP and ZZ2, it was demonstrating that taking sustainable action was not only possible, but also highly effective, it said.
“Care for people and nature can only be genuinely successful if we embed these values, together with our chain partners and public parties such as the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, in every link of the supply chain,” added Adriëlle Dankier, CEO of Nature’s Pride.
”So that we can let everyone enjoy the tastiest exotic fruits and vegetables, both today and tomorrow.”
