Fair trade can shake things up in a positive way, across the supply chain
Mexican avocado grower-exporter Grupo Los Cerritos made headlines in 2023 — not for the many problems that plague the country’s avocado growers, but rather for winning a regional sustainability recognition for the fourth time in a row. The award added to a swath of certifications that Grupo Los Cerritos, based in Ciudad Guzmán, a small, […]
Lidl GB implements new tool to help address ‘disparities’, close wage gap with banana workers
This month, Lidl GB will introduce a new tool they say will help tackle wage disparities among banana plantation workers. Already trialled in Germany, the new calculation done in conjunction with non-profit organisation IDH determines the gap between the living wage on the premium paid by Lidl. Suppliers can continually analyse the data to ensure […]
Getting it ripe: Wholesale, retail and foodservice strive to deliver ready-to-eat fruit
For produce retail stores and foodservice alike, ripening is a key part of the process of getting desirable produce to consumers. Although it doesn’t benefit shelf life, ripening — or pre-conditioning — delivers fruit ready to eat. After all, soft, ripe avocados or bananas are considerably more appealing than rock-hard products that are still a […]
Norwich company’s non-browning banana receives GMO exempt status in Philippines
UK-based company Tropic Biosciences announced that its non-browning banana has earned non-genetically modified organism exempt status by the Philippines Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry. The GMO banana can now be imported and produced within the Philippines, which is the largest banana exporter in Southeast Asia and second only to Ecuador in the world, though […]
Aldi trades in plastic for paper band in trial to make banana packaging more sustainable
With just one small change to one product in its produce section, Aldi UK could eliminate 234 tonnes of plastic. So the discount retailer, like so many other supermarket chains across the UK focused squarely on sustainability, will trial the removal of plastic packaging on certain lines of bananas in select stores. They include […]
TR-4 fungus threatening bananas worldwide may have met its match: genetic altering
A company in the United States is developing a fungus-proof, genetically engineered banana that will be resistant to a deadly disease threatening to destroy most of the world’s banana crops. TR-4, also known as Fusarium Oxysporum, is a fungus that attacks the roots of banana trees and is resistant to fungicides and other chemicals. The fungus […]
World Banana Forum kicks off in Italy with a focus on sustainability, equity
The United Nations’ World Banana Forum returns this week to Rome, headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization. The fourth edition of the event is expected to gather 400 banana industry stakeholders, representing growers, government agencies, importers and exporters, retailers, research institutions and trade unions. “Bananas are the most exported fresh fruit in the world by volume […]
Fruit Logistica: New ripening innovations from Interko help save on energy
Netherlands-based Interko, which designs, manufactures and installs state-of-the-art fresh fruit ripening rooms, announced that it has cut the energy consumption of its flagship Ultimo rooms by a further 20 per cent, after launching the second generation of its revolutionary Reverso reversible fans. Ultimo’s design and technology also has been adapted to enable the room to be used […]
