Carbon Neutral Pineapples from Costa Rica

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has announced the Del Monte Zero Pineapple launch, the first carbon-neutral certified pineapple for the North American and European markets. SCS, a global leader in environmental certification, has determined that the reabsorption by Fresh Del Monte-owned forests negates the pineapple's greenhouse gas emissions.

The company's carbon neutral programme was curated to include conservation and reforestation that sequesters CO2 in situ. This nature-based solution is also known as insetting. The company has a forest on over 8,000 hectares, with five million trees to neutralise emissions. It is also investing in upgrading its transportation fleet to more sustainable vehicles. 

"Going beyond the farm to include emissions from inland and oceanic transportation, distribution, and commercialisation is a major step in helping the environment; we hope that the Del Monte Zero pineapples not only generate awareness among our customers, current and future partners but also provide consumers with a unique opportunity to support climate-conscious produce," said Hans Sauter, Chief Sustainability Office, Senior Vice President R&D and Agricultural Services. 

"Fresh Del Monte Zero pineapples set an important new benchmark for the global fresh produce industry. They have not only demonstrated adherence to extremely rigorous principles of social responsibility, environmental, and governance performance but have also focused on increasing carbon storage on the lands they own and manage while simultaneously minimising their GHG emissions to achieve carbon-neutral certification. In doing so, they are confronting the climate crisis head-on," said Stan Rhodes, President and CEO of SCS Global Services.