Fair Trade USA, which certifies fair trade products marketed in North America, has promoted Nathalie Marin-Gest as head of Fresh Goods, overseeing produce, floral and seafood.
She joined Fair Trade USA in 2013, as the organization’s first supply chain manager for produce and floral, helping certify farms and training workers throughout Latin America, according to a news release. Her work involved developing the Fair Trade model “to bring more impact to growers and workers and making it more accessible and marketable to partners and purchasers,” according to the release.
She most recently was senior director of produce and floral, leading a 30% growth in the category, with new products and regions.
“Nathalie’s experience in workforce development as it applies directly on the farm as well as the impact throughout the supply chain adds great perspective as she helps the Fresh Goods category to grow and innovate,” Paul Rice, founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA, said in the release.
In 2016, Marin-Gest led the development of a fair trade program in the U.S., with the first farm in the U.S. certified (Wholesum’s Amado, Ariz., greenhouse) in the 80-year history of the fair trade movement, according to the release.
About 120 produce groups are certified through Fair Trade USA.
“I’m excited to support additional categories of Fair Trade Certified fresh products and the expansion of our program to build more capacity for producers and workers across fresh supply chains,” Marin-Gest said in the release. “We are in the business of long-term, sustainable businesses through the application of our framework.”
Fair Trade USA is exhibiting at The Packer’s Global Organic Produce Expo (GOPEX) Jan. 9-11 in Miami Beach, at booth No. 306.
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