Fyffes, one of the world’s largest and oldest tropical produce importers and distributors, was recently named best supplier in 2019 and winner of the corporate social responsibility category MVO by its long-term partner, PLUS Retail, in the Netherlands.
Fyffes has been working on making the PLUS banana supply chain more sustainable, with the companies offering a climate-neutral and Fairtrade banana which is traceable thanks to blockchain technology.
Since the beginning of October, Dutch consumers have been able to purchase climate-neutral Fairtrade bananas at PLUS and are able to trace the individual banana journey from Colombia to their shopping bananas via QR codes. The joint effort helps PLUS and Fyffes provide clarity about the origin of the bananas and give insight into the work of people in the field.
“We are delighted to be honoured by these awards,” Erik Brand, key account manager says. “It has been a challenging mission for all of us, but the close cooperation between the PLUS project team, our production, marketing and sales departments made it happen”.
Fyffes says transparency in the banana supply chain is key, with consumers demanding responsibly produced products and origins. 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.
“It is great to see that working together on aligned sustainability strategies can realize those important projects,” Joris Schonk, Commercial Director Europe says. “This approach is a benefit for all parties involved throughout the banana supply chain including the consumers.”
Since 1888, Fyffes has shipped more than 100 million boxes of bananas, pineapples and melons each year. A respect for the environment and a commitment to the principles of sustainability are continual goals for the Dublin-headquartered company.
Fyffes is the top importer of bananas and the leading marketer of organic and Fairtrade bananas to Europe, as well as the importer with the world’s highest number of Global G.A.P. certified production partners. Fyffes has been a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation since 2017.
