The French fruit group has acted to put social and environmental objectives at the heart of its governance in a move that “reaffirms what makes Blue Whale unique”
Since July, French fruit producer group Blue Whale has officially incorporated its corporate purpose into its Articles of Association, becoming a “Mission-Driven Company” (or Entreprise à Mission). This marks a new milestone for the group, it said, formalising a commitment that has been at the heart of its identity for 75 years.
Blue Whale was founded near Montauban in 1950, with apples always at the centre of the growing business, alongside pears, kiwifruit, plums and grapes. Today, it represents 260 growers across France’s main fruit-producing regions, including the leading apple-producing department, Tarn-et-Garonne.
The company has developed a strong international presence – a third of production is sold in France, with a third exported in Europe and a third to the rest of the world.
“This international reach reflects a clear ambition: to ensure the long-term future of fruit-growing expertise and to inspire a renewed love of fruit, wherever consumers are in the world,” the company states. “Becoming a Mission-Driven Company is a natural step in Blue Whale’s history and reflects the cooperative DNA that has shaped the group since its foundation.
“Looking towards the world and the future has always been part of Blue Whale’s identity. The new legal framework does not change the direction we have taken; it formalises and strengthens commitments that are already deeply rooted in the organisation. It also reaffirms what makes Blue Whale unique: we are not simply a commercial player in the apple market, but a collective of growers with expertise across the entire value chain, from orchard to consumer.”
Blue Whale announced it had sold 313,476 tonnes of fruit in the 2025/26 season, recording €384.1mn in revenue, up from €356mn last year.
Bruno Bertheloz, managing director of Blue Whale, commented: “This season is strong, but growth alone is not the goal. The key question remains the same: how do we turn outstanding performance into sustainable value, from the orchard to the consumer? That is at the heart of our strategy: investing in orchards, renewing varieties, driving innovation and developing markets that pay.”
The 2025/26 harvest may have beaten forecasts, but fruit sizes were smaller and more volumes went to processing.
“Yields, packing rates and price pressure all squeezed returns per hectare,” the company stated, “a reminder that volume alone is not enough, because not all apples are equal.”
Export performance varied greatly due to the Gulf crisis. Long-haul exports were up 45 per cent in turnover, led by the Middle East and Indian markets, despite disruption from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The crisis exposed just how fragile global supply chains are,” said export sales director Marc Peyres, who explained the importance of the company’s diversified export strategy to spread the risk.
The company laid out four key ambitions that the Blue Whale mission is built around:
1. Securing the future of growers and rural communities - strengthening the long-term economic sustainability of growers while contributing to the vitality of the communities and regions where they operate.
2. Investing in people and expertise - developing people, their skills and know-how to help build a strong and resilient future for the fruit sector.
3. Making healthy eating more desirable - promoting exceptional-quality fruit and contributing to a healthier, more appealing diet for consumers.
4. Driving the transformation of the fruit sector - harnessing collective innovation, cooperation and long-term value creation to support the sustainable transformation of the industry.
