Fresh Del Monte Produce and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) have joined forces to develop a three-year multi-stakeholder partnership with local organizations, government agencies, communities, and subsidiaries to maximize the use of natural resources and ensure the sustainability of landscapes in Costa Rica and Guatemala.
The partnership aims to continue to restore productive landscapes, boost the economic development of communities that have been impacted by COVID-19, conserve water resources in watersheds, and provide education for the sustainable development in neighboring lands surrounding Fresh Del Monte’s banana and pineapple farms in Costa Rica and Guatemala. Currently, 25% (10,000+ hectares) of Fresh Del Monte’s farmland has been set aside for conservation efforts benefiting more than 200 Fresh Del Monte collaborators.
“Our goal is to elevate our sustainable agriculture programs beyond just our operations to create resilient and multifunctional landscapes throughout our entire watersheds,” says Hans Sauter, chief sustainability officer and senior vice president of research & development at Fresh Del Monte. “We view this partnership as a powerful opportunity to enhance the capacity of the communities we live and work in, to build a better, more sustainable environment for future generations.”
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For more than 30 years, Fresh Del Monte’s commitment to Costa Rica’s sustainable development and biodiversity conservation has played an important role in protecting the forests and supporting local communities in their efforts to restore landscapes and promote social and economic development.
“To ensure the sustainability and resilience of the landscapes in the face of climate change, it is necessary to empower stakeholders and secure financial resources to promote the conservation of ecosystems,” says Svenja Paulino, director of the biodiversity and business program in Central America and the Dominican Republic. “For this reason, it is also important to create awareness in different players—who impact and depend on biodiversity—about the appropriate sustainable development of watersheds and their ecosystem services.”
