FairFruit, grower and exporter of sustainably grown exotic fruit and vegetables, committed to having 100% of its volume of fresh fruits and vegetables sourced sustainably by 2020. The Sustainability Initiative Fruits and Vegetables (SIFAV) covenant was signed in December at their headquarters in Belgium. The covenant members commit to the following: in January 2015, 50% of companies’ total import will be sustainable, with finally a 100% sustainability goal in January 2020.
“By signing the IDH Covenant, FaiFruit underlines its commitment to the Durabilis mission of creating shared value. It brings us another step closer to a world where benefits and risks are shared equally among all stakeholders in supply chains, benefitting especially our employees and growers in the South,” says Carl Wulfrank, general manager FairFruit International.
Large companies such as Lidl, Albert Heijn, Jumbo Supermarkets and producers and traders such as the Greenery previously committed to the 100% sustainability target. ICCO, Solidaridad, and Frugi Venta support the covenant with their sector expertise. The program is coordinated by IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative.
Kebba Colley, Senior Program Manager Fruits and Vegetables, IDH: “It is a great pleasure to work with a company that has sustainability so clearly in its DNA. The covenant is becoming more diverse and international, and its members really set the trend towards producing sustainably across the value chain.”
About IDH
IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative accelerates and up scales sustainable trade by building impact oriented coalitions of front running companies, civil society organizations, governments and other stakeholders. By convening public & private interests, strengths, and knowledge, the 18 IDH programs sustainably transform commodity markets to create large scale improvements in the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of small scale farmers, reduce negative environmental impact, and support local value creation in developing countries – making sustainable production and consumption the norm. More information: idhsustainabletrade.com & SIFAV.com.
About FairFruit
FairFruit is a grower and exporter of sustainably grown exotic fruit and vegetables with production sites in Africa and Latin America and sales offices in Belgium and the UK. The main product lines are trimmed and washed peas and beans from smallholders in Ethiopia, Peru and Guatemala, and ready-to-eat mangos from smallholders and medium-sized farms in Peru and Burkina Faso. Fairfruit is an investment of Durabilis NV, a Belgian impact investment company, and is fully dedicated to creating access to fair markets for smallholder farmers and creating good jobs for its workers in low income countries. FairFruit is specialized in a direct sourcing model based upon integrated and transparent supply chains and long term strategic relationships with growers and clients. Food quality and social impact are ensured through GLOBALG.A.P. and BSCI compliance. In 2013, FairFruit had a sales figure of Euro 13,1 million, employed a total of 417 FTE’s, and sourced product from 1581 smallholders.