FDBusiness.com

Fyffes, one of the world’s largest and oldest tropical produce importers and distributors, has been awarded by its long-term partner PLUS Retail as their best supplier in 2019 and winner of the CSR category ‘MVO’. Together with PLUS Fyffes has continuously been working on making the PLUS banana supply chain more sustainable.

The joined efforts make it possible to provide the fairest possible banana to date: A Climate neutral & Fairtrade banana which is traceable thanks to blockchain technology. Since the beginning of October Dutch consumers can purchase climate neutral Fairtrade bananas at PLUS and can trace the individual banana journey from Colombia to their shopping basket via QR code. By offering complete transparency, PLUS and Fyffes want to provide clarity about the origin of the bananas and provide insight into all joint efforts in the field of people, nature and climate.

Erik Brand, Key Account Manager at Fyffes, says: “We are delighted to be honoured by these awards. It has been a challenging mission for all of us but the close cooperation between the PLUS project team, our production, marketing & sales departments made it happen.”

Transparency in the banana supply chain is key: There is a growing demand from consumers for responsibly produced products and more interest in the origin of products. By accurately mapping the banana chain, it becomes clear where most sustainability impact and improvements can be achieved. With the application of the blockchain technology, all steps in the chain are recorded, linked and made transparent. By scanning the QR code on the individual bananas and entering the corresponding Fairtrade FLO ID, consumers can follow the entire route their banana travels, from plantation to shopping basket.

Sustainability and responsibility

Since the company’s inception in 1888, Fyffes has been committed to bringing the world the highest quality product, while striving to maintain the highest environmental and sustainability standards across its operations. Responsible for the shipment of over 100 million boxes of bananas, pineapples and melons each year, Fyffes understands the environmental impact of its actions. For this reason, it is committed to collaborating with its supply partners to continue protecting the world’s natural resources.

A respect for the environment and a commitment to the principles of sustainability are at the heart of the Fyffes brand, and the company looks forward to continuing to work in collaboration with its partners to develop and implement new solutions and practices that will result in a positive impact on the environment.

CAPTION:

Pictured left to right: Erik Brand, Key Account Manager at Fyffes, and Eric Leebeek, Commercial Director of PLUS retail.