Fresh Del Monte Produce has been recognised for its work in sustainability as it wins a 2023 SEAL Business Sustainability Award in the Environmental Initiative category and has been shortlisted for a World Sustainability Award in the New Launch category for the Del Monte Zero pineapple.
The company has reduced its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 23%, upgrading its ocean fleet with six new fuel-efficient vessels and installing solar and wind energy in facilities in California and Costa Rica, respectively.
This reduction means the company is 80% of the way towards its climate action goal to reduce scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 27.5% by 2025. Additionally, the use of the six fuel-efficient vessels allowed the company to exceed its scope 1 vessel shipping reduction goal.
Subscribe to Sustainability Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest sustainability news sent straight to your inbox each morning
Back in 2021, Del Monte received the SEAL Award for its approach to farming while conserving biodiversity. Additionally, the company was shortlisted for a World Sustainability Award in the New Launch category for the Del Monte Zero pineapple, a carbon neutral certified pineapple.
Del Monte Zero pineapples reduced emissions through insetting, the process of financing of climate protection projects along a company’s own value chain.
This was achieved through investments in upgrades to its transportation fleet and by reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions, as well as an 8,000+ hectare forest that contains approximately five million trees that capture emissions – from farm to table – produced by the Del Monte Zero pineapple.
The final winners of the World Sustainability Awards will be announced in October.
Chief sustainability officer Hans Sauter said “sustainability and innovation are at the heart of Del Monte”.
“Sustainability permeates our entire value chain — from farm to market – showing that large-scale agriculture can be responsible too,” he added.
