Being called a “zero” isn’t the dig it once was – at least for Fresh Del Monte’s carbon-neutral Zero pineapple, which represents the company’s far-reaching commitment to sustainability that also includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions ahead of schedule, packing bananas for North America in reusable containers and other initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture.
“Sustainability has always been a very important part of Del Monte. It is really in our DNA from the get-go. But as consumers started asking about, it became something of importance to give that transparency of what we have been doing all of these years,” Ana Cristina Fonseca, VP product management North America – core products, explained at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.
She explained the Del Monte Zero pineapple is an effort to address some consumers’ concerns that the company’s pineapple production in Costa Rica was damaging the land, decreasing biodiversity and infringing on protected areas, when the opposite is true.
“Del Monte Zero was born from Fresh Del Monte’s mission to turn sustainability into action and offer consumers a truly climate conscious pineapple from farm to table,” she said.
She explained Del Monte Zero’s carbon neutrality includes farm-level efforts in Costa Rica where the Del Monte Zero pineapple is grown to capture or sequestrate carbon dioxide, encourage biodiversity and offer a haven to exotic and rare birds that tourists often seek out when they visit the country.
She added that Fresh Del Monte’s efforts go beyond those of many other company’s that call out “sustainable farming” or “carbon zero farm,” because the Del Monte Zero pineapple is not only grown on farms that incorporate conservation and reforestation to sequester carbon dioxide in situ, but the way it is packed, processed and shipped also are carbon neutral.
“The whole supply chain makes it carbon neutral,” she said.
Clear consumer communication
Fresh Del Monte does not expect consumers to take its word for it. The Del Monte Zero pineapples are third-party certified as sustainably grown by SCS global services, which carefully measures carbon emissions – and the circumference of the company’s trees – annually.
Fresh Del Monte touts the SCS global services certification of the pineapples on a distinctive black tag attached to their stems. Fonseca explains shelf education, like this, is important in an era when consumers are increasingly price sensitive but also want to buy products that align with their values.
She acknowledges that the Del Monte Zero pineapple is priced higher than Fresh Del Monte’s “regular” pineapples because of the added cost of certification and some of the sequestration initiatives. But, she adds, the certification offers consumers assurance that the extra money is well spent.
And, she adds, consumers increasingly are willing to pay a slight premium for products about which they can feel good and do good by buying.
“I believe it is something that is rewarding. You have to pay more usually when you want to do something good,” she said.
Currently, the company offers about 1 million boxes per year of the Del Monte Zero pineapple, but it plans to expand its supply – and impact – in the coming years.
Broader sustainability initiatives
The Del Monte Zero pineapple is just one of many of Fresh Del Monte’s sustainability initiatives.
For example, the company teaches young children about the value of reforesting and the importance of sustainable agriculture, which helps them be better stewards of the planet and instills a sense of loyalty that translates to more life-long consumers.
The company also leverages upcycling to reduce waste across its supply chain and different businesses. For example, it recently began upcycling syrup form its pineapple product lines in its Fruit Infusion cups.
