On 20 April, Dutch importer Nature’s Pride received the first mangoes of the season from Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa. According to mango buyer Roberto Lattore, their arrival this year was particularly welcome.
“The market was quite nervous, with importers seeking to push sales in order to clear their Peruvian stocks before Côte d’Ivoire mangoes arrived,” he said. “This has put pressure on prices.”
Nature’s Pride imports the Kent variety from Côte d’Ivoire, a mango with a round shape, a thick, elastic, red-blush skin and a delicious, sweet taste. According to Lattore, the Côte d’Ivoire season is set to last five to six weeks.
“The demand is good and programmes are running well,” he revealed. “Demand for our mangoes is increasing. We are also seeing good growth again this year for ready-to-eat mangoes.”
An important part of the company’s approach, according to marketing manager Jan Willem Verloop, is its commitment to continuously improving social and environmental sustainability.
“We work with GlobalGAP for agricultural sustainability and with a basket of eight audits for social sustainability, including Fair For Life, BSCI and Rainforest Alliance,” he said. “These audits are verified by a committee of specialists from SIFAV (Sustainability Initiative of Fruits and Vegetables) and these standards are widely accepted in the European marketplace.”
According to Verloop, Nature’s Pride goes beyond the standard requirements of the market. “Nature's Pride has a sustainable business team of four people, including a senior agricultural expert who works with our growers on agricultural and environmental sustainability,” he said. “He is at the full service of our dedicated growers, advising them on crops, soil and water. If you buy from Nature's Pride, you can be sure that you are buying from a partner that works with full commitment and dedication on sustainability every day.
“Sustainability is complex. Truly understanding and addressing a specific situation in a certain country requires dedication and dialogue that go beyond an audit by a third party. More important than compliance on paper, we are deeply committed to making the difference on the ground by working with our growers, who we consider to be our partners.”
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