Oxnard, Calif.-based Mission Produce Inc. has shared its 2023 global giving results to positively impact its surrounding communities.
Contributing to causes supporting children, families and agriculture education, Mission Produce says it aims to cultivate a better future for generations to come.
“We have a unique opportunity to give back to our people and communities around the world,” CEO Steve Barnard said in a news release. “We’re extremely grateful for the thousands of people working with Mission — on our farms, in our packhouses, at our distribution centers — so, we intentionally invest in the areas we believe can have a lasting impact on our people and their communities. Through our contributions, we aim to enhance their quality of life, promote a safe environment, and improve access to essential resources.”
Mission Produce’s community giving highlights from 2023 include:
U.S.
Mission hosted its 11th annual golf tournament fundraiser, in which $135,000 in gross proceeds were raised for The Mission Produce Foundation, according to the release. In 2023, the foundation supported several local and national organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme, the Make-A-Wish Central Coast and Southern Central Valley, Casa Pacifica and Interface Children & Family Services.
Mexico
Mission provided financial and logistical support through its TalentoMission program for employees in Mexico to complete their primary and secondary education, the release said.
Mission sponsored children from the Vivan los Niños Social Assistance Center to participate in Michoacán’s Judo Cup, a youth development program inaugurated by Mexico’s National System for Integral Family Development.
In contribution to a reforestation campaign in Uruapan, Michoacán, several Mission volunteers planted 3,000 pine trees in a nearby indigenous community impacted by wildfires, the release said.
Peru
Over 80 employees enrolled in Mission’s secondary education program, CEBA Mission, a partnership with the Association for Sustainable Agriculture Development and a local education center, CEBA Ramiro Ñique, to enable operating personnel the opportunity to earn academic degrees, the release said.
To support the community development of Virú, Chao and Olmos, Mission Produce provided resources to improve public health, citizen security and city infrastructure, according to the release.
In partnership with the Virú Health Network, Mission Produce evaluated more than 550 children in the community for anemia, providing medical and nutritional support to those in need, the release said.
Through Mission Produce Peru’s Technical Advisory Program, Mission trained more than 1,000 avocado growers, with more than 2,800 hectares of farmland in Virú and Chao, on plant health and agronomic practices related to international trade, according to the release.
In partnership with Viva-Vive Valores, a nongovernmental citizen education development program, Mission Produce says it trained the teachers of five local institutions on educational strategies and methodologies.
“Our community development teams are passionate about our global giving initiatives, and I’m proud of their efforts to represent Mission Produce across the globe,” Barnard said.
More details on Mission Produce’s community giving from 2023 will be published in its fiscal year 2023 sustainability report, expected to be published in spring 2024.
Related link: More information on Mission Produce’s community investment
