Florida-based IMG Citrus has secured Fair Trade USA certification, making it the first citrus grower in the state to achieve the standard
IMG Citrus has announced that it has become the first and only Florida citrus grower to earn Fair Trade USA certification.
The group said that, for every pound of Fair Trade USA certified citrus grown and sold by IMG, two cents is now contributed to a Community Development Fund.
Workers themselves decide how those funds are used, based on the priorities they identify for their workforce and community.
“What makes Fair Trade meaningful is that workers are not just protected by the standard – they have a voice in it,” said Melanie Ressler, Co-CEO of IMG Citrus.
“The premium creates a tangible benefit, and employees themselves determine where that premium can have the greatest impact.”
The company said that the certification also strengthens its year-round citrus programme which is built around long-term grower partnerships across multiple origins.
Many of those partners are Fair Trade Certified, it confirmed, giving IMG first-hand experience working within the programme and a shared framework for responsible agriculture across its supply network.
“We build partnerships with growers around shared values and a long-term commitment to each other,” Ressler outlined.
“Fair Trade gives us another common language with many of our grower partners.
”We can learn from their experiences, share our own, and continue improving together,” she explained.
IMG offers Fair Trade Certified programmes across lemons, limes, mandarins, Orri tangerines, oranges and Florida grapefruit.
”Bringing certification to its own Florida farms extends that commitment into the heart of IMG Citrus’ growing operations while establishing a new benchmark for the Florida citrus industry,” the group stated.
It pointed out that it is entering the Florida citrus season with a ”strong outlook”, offering Fair Trade Certified Florida-grown grapefruit, Orri tangerines and juice oranges.
”The season is especially significant for Florida grapefruit, where expanding Citrus Under Protective Screens (CUPS) production is helping fuel the category’s comeback – and, for the first time, Fair Trade Certified Florida grapefruit will be available to the market,” IMG added.
