Salinas, California-based Naturipe, a global producer of berries for more than 100 years, is highlighting its sustainability efforts at IFPA’S 2022 Global Produce & Floral Show in Orlando, Florida, through Oct. 29.
This year’s show will highlight Naturipe’s advances in the area of environmental sustainability and breeding. Sustainability is a priority in every aspect of the company, and it guides decisions and actions related to environmental protection, resource conservation and ethical business practices, as well as the health and safety of Naturipe’s employees and community.
Also featured at this year’s show will be Naturipe’s expansion of its owners’ state-of-the-art berry breeding program which focuses on the most flavorful varieties.
“The IFPA show is a big event for our industry and a terrific opportunity to tell our story. Since our last in-person event three years ago, our growers have made tremendous strides, investing in the future of their farms through sustainable practices, variety development and technology,” said CarrieAnn Arias, VP of marketing. “You may have heard about many of our initiatives before, but this year, our goal is to show the breadth of our owners’ forward-thinking efforts and the impacts they have made.”
Naturipe’s Cultivate with Care program was established in 2015 to reinforce the organization’s commitment to operating its business in a way that minimizes environmental impact and simultaneously supports local and global communities. To further strengthen this commitment, in 2019, Naturipe named Janis McIntosh as its first director of marketing innovation and sustainability to lead all of Naturipe’s sustainability efforts. McIntosh currently sits on the Consumer Good Forum’s Environmental Sustainability Working Group, as well as the IFPA Sustainability Council.
Since this program’s inception, Naturipe and its grower-owners have made substantial advancements in packaging optimization. Recently, they just passed the more than 1MM pounds mark for reduction of plastic in their fresh blueberry line, are currently on track to have industry compliant wash away labels and have added the How2Recycle logo on all their corrugated boxes and wash away labels. In addition to their packaging having an extremely high level of post-consumer recycled content, they are also now using certified ocean bound plastic where possible.
“Sustainability is driven by our growers. They love what they do, the land they farm and the community they thrive in. But most of all they want their families to have a future in farming. For this reason, they continue to innovate, from solar energy to pollinator habitats, they’re driving the positive change,” McIntosh said. “This purpose-driven focus is also seen in the significant investments our owners have made in their proprietary breeding programs.”
Naturipe’s owners’ breeding programs are offering new and unique consumer experiences by developing the best, most agile and sustainable genetics in berries. They are utilizing both conventional and genomics-assisted (DNA-based) breeding methods to develop unique varieties that meet the needs of our growers and consumers. With eight R&D facilities and over a dozen experimental farms across five continents, Naturipe is innovating at an accelerated pace.
“With 55 varieties released over the last 15 years, our owners’ recent investments will exponentially increase the pace of and quality of our proprietary varieties,” said Jim Roberts, president of sales. “Growers, retailers and consumers all have characteristics they look for in their favorite berry, and Naturipe will continue to strive for that pursuit of the best berries year round.”
Naturipe is a farmer-owned producer and marketer of nutritious, premium berries and avocados that has been an industry leader for more than 100 years. Because its diverse grower base shares resources, skills, labor and knowledge, it strengthens the local farm community. Its focus on innovation ensures year-round availability of locally grown and globally local conventional and organic fruit.
