Fresh Del Monte Sets New Standards in Sustainability with 2022 Report

Global agriculture giant achieves groundbreaking success with its first carbon neutral certified pineapple, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and food waste

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE: FDP), one of the world’s leading vertically integrated producers, marketers, and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, has released its 2022 Sustainability Report, reaffirming its steadfast commitment to conserving the planet. For decades, Fresh Del Monte has been at the forefront of sustainable practices, focusing on reducing its emissions and food waste, and adopting regenerative agriculture and smart farming practices, among many others.

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Fresh Del Monte Pineapple Field & Forest (Photo: Business Wire)

“As a global agribusiness, sustainability is ingrained in our identity and we recognize the urgency of action needed to continue fortifying our operations against the changing climate,” said Hans Sauter, Chief Sustainability Officer, Senior Vice President, R&D and Agricultural Services at Fresh Del Monte. “Our unwavering commitment propels us to continually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize water usage, combat food waste, and curtail plastic consumption, among other critical endeavors that have a direct impact on our planet. We firmly believe that we can instigate transformative change and drive the adoption of innovative technologies for a more sustainable future. This ongoing journey necessitates investments and partnerships, recognizing that the most substantial impact occurs when we collaborate.”

One of the biggest milestones achieved by the pioneering produce company was the launch of its new line extension, Del Monte Zero™ Pineapple, a carbon-neutral pineapple that offsets carbon emissions from farm to market as certified by SCS Global Services. SCS Global Services is a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development. After a comprehensive assessment of Fresh Del Monte’s Costa Rica pineapple production through shipment and sale to the North American and European markets, SCS Global Services determined that the pineapples’ greenhouse gas emissions have been negated by the reabsorption of Fresh Del Monte-owned forests, making the carbon footprint for DEL MONTE ZERO™ pineapples net zero.

The certification is the result of a long-standing program of carefully curated farms that incorporate conservation and reforestation areas to sequester CO2 in situ, a nature-based solution called insetting. The company’s 8,000+ hectare forest containing approximately five million trees neutralizes emissions—from farm to market—produced by the Del Monte Zero™ pineapple. A trained group of Fresh Del Monte team members tracks and measures the company’s forests biannually to ensure the amount of certified carbon-neutral pineapple boxes equates to the carbon dioxide sequestered through such conservation activities.

Fresh Del Monte's dedication to customer satisfaction and sustainability was further underscored with the debut of the mini Honeyglow® pineapple last year. The product was developed based on consumer preferences for conveniently sized pineapples and aligns with the company's goals to reduce waste and meet customer needs.

Leading the fight against food waste, Fresh Del Monte diverted 93% of food waste from landfills in 2022. Taking a proactive stance against this issue, the company became the first grower to join the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment in 2022 and pledged to reduce food waste across its operations to serve as a model for other suppliers and growers.

In 2022, Fresh Del Monte achieved a remarkable 26% decrease in its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, largely attributed to optimizing fertilizer usage, fuel consumption, and facility heating adjustments. This progress puts Fresh Del Monte at an impressive 94% completion rate toward its Science Based Target initiative-approved Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction goal of 27.5% compared to a 2020 base year. Additionally, the company planted 574,800 trees, and 29.7% of its owned farms now implement regenerative agriculture farming practices.

Utilizing renewable energy sources is an essential part of Fresh Del Monte’s conservation focus, with 21% of its global electricity consumption coming from renewable sources last year. Since the installation of solar panels at its Costa Rica banana operation in 2017, monthly kWh usage has been reduced by 46%.

Fresh Del Monte's numerous sustainability efforts have earned the company several recognitions and accolades. For two consecutive years in a row, the company was ranked 14th in the Food and Beverage category among U.S.-based companies with revenues exceeding $500 million on Newsweek's America's Most Trusted Companies of 2023 list and was named a Humankind 100 company by Humankind Investments, ranking 59th out of 100 for positively impacting communities through initiatives such as providing access to clean water, food, and healthcare. Fresh Del Monte’s dedication to conservation has earned it recognition by UNESCO for its work at the Quirigüá Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Guatemala.

Fresh Del Monte's 2022 Sustainability Report underscores the company's unwavering dedication to sustainability and serves as a testament to the company leading the way in conservation, sustainable agriculture, and innovation for A Brighter World Tomorrow™.

The full sustainability report can be found at freshdelmonte.com/sustainability-reports/.

ABOUT FRESH DEL MONTE

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated producers, marketers, and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, as well as a leading producer and distributor of prepared food in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. markets its products worldwide under the DEL MONTE® brand (under license from Del Monte Foods, Inc.), a symbol of product innovation, quality, freshness, and reliability for over 135 years. The company also markets its products under the MANN™ brand and other related trademarks. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Del Monte Foods, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited, Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is the first global marketer of fruits and vegetables to commit to the “Science Based Targets” initiative. In 2022 and 2023, Fresh Del Monte Produce was ranked as one of “America’s Most Trusted Companies” by Newsweek based on an independent survey rating companies on three different touchpoints, including customer trust, investor trust, and employee trust. The company was also named a Humankind 100 Company for two consecutive years by Humankind Investments, which recognizes companies that substantially impact areas such as access to food and clean water, healthcare, and digital services. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is traded on the NYSE under the symbol FDP.

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