Del Monte gains Kenyan certification

Del Monte Fresh Produce has announced the third-party certification of its pineapple farms and canning operations in Kenya as Sustainably Grown.

The certification was issued by SCS Global Services (SCS) in accordance with the producer and handler requirements of its internationally recognised Sustainably Grown Standard.

“For many years, without fanfare and away from spotlights, Del Monte has been working on sustainability initiatives throughout our operations,” said Hans Sauter, vice-president corporate research & development and agricultural services of Del Monte. “We are very pleased that our efforts have been validated by a globally recognised independent certifier such as SCS Global Services that uses sound science as the basis for its stringent Sustainably Grown standard.

'The SCS sustainably Grown certification of our Kenya farms and canning operations follows the certification of our fresh banana and pineapple farms in Guatemala and Costa Rica earlier this year,' he added. 'We are very proud of this accomplishment and we are looking forward to expanding the certification programme to cover more of our operations.”