Sustainability
EAT ME, responsibly good
Exotic fruit and vegetables with the EAT ME label are not just guaranteed to be extremely tasty. They are also the automatic way for you to eat as responsibly as possible. We believe just as much as you in the importance of growing, packing and transporting our range as responsibly as possible. That's why Nature’s Pride – the supplier of EAT ME – takes a multifaceted approach to sustainability so you can enjoy eating fruit and vegetables responsibly. Our approach is guided by the principles of three themes: improving livelihoods, reducing food waste and reducing the environmental impact.
How we improve livelihoods
It is very important to us that the people who grow, harvest and pack our fruit and vegetables have good living and working conditions. To guarantee these conditions among our growers, we ask them to conduct a social audit. We see these audits as a first step in creating awareness, recognising challenges in working conditions and continuously working on improvement.
How we reduce food waste
Food waste is an often-overlooked aspect of sustainability. But it is a very important aspect. After all, if fewer fruit and vegetables are thrown away, less needs to be grown to satisfy the same demand. And that is great news for the environment. Many products have to comply with strict specifications to be sold. Products that fail to meet those quality criteria cannot be sold, but their flavour is perfectly good.
There are plenty of options for the avocados that account for such a large share in the sales of EAT ME. They can go to a factory to produce guacamole, for example, or be used for avocado oil. And often this exotic produce can still be sent to a food bank. We do everything in our power to ensure that avocados and other products that do not meet the aesthetic requirements go to a good destination.
Appel extends the shelf life
We also combat food waste in a very different, revolutionary way: with Apeel. Fruits such as avocados are given an extra protective skin. This protective layer is made of natural substances derived from plants, peel and other parts of fruit. The skin coating retains moisture in the fruit for longer. This slows spoilage. So, you can keep fruit for up to 50% longer and enjoy eating it.
How we reduce the impact on the environment
Responsible water use
Due to climate change and the growing world population, water availability is increasingly under pressure globally. Nature’s Pride has an integral water policy. We ensure that growers manage water responsibly through an independent SPRING water audit. SPRING stands for Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use. Growers in countries including Peru, Chile, Spain, Colombia and Kenya already have this certification, as proof that they are pioneering in responsible water use.
Increasing the sustainability of packaging
Packaging is indispensable for fruit and vegetables. Without packaging these products are vulnerable. Or they have a shorter shelf life. But we take our responsibility in this area extremely seriously. Packaging is not always necessary, or products can be packed using less, or alternative, types of material. We are increasingly replacing plastic packaging with cardboard. EAT ME avocados, strawberries and blueberries are available in 100% cardboard packaging. And because only a single type of material is used for that packaging, it can easily be recycled along with other paper waste.
You can also dispose of your packaging responsibly. Simply check the page about recyclable packaging!
CO2 emissions
CO2 is emitted during the production, transport and packaging of fruit and vegetables. Nature’s Pride aims to reduce these emissions by one-third by 2030. We conducted a baseline measurement of the CO2 emissions of our 24 most important products in 2018. Based on this measurement, we have drawn up measures in the areas of transportation, energy, mobility and waste.
At the end of 2020, our climate plan was verified and approved by an independent party, confirming that it is in line with the goals set in the Paris climate agreement. This means we have taken measures to limit the warming of our Earth to 1.5 °C.
