Berry marketer Bobalu LLC says it has passed a sustainability milestone, recently receiving its latest audit and certificate with a clean 100% score on the Module 9: IPM Identifier.
Integrated pest management is a science-based approach to managing key pests through a combination of biological, cultural, physical and chemical methods to reduce pest damage while minimizing risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms (pollinators), and the environment, according to a news release.
Bobalu said its food safety team assessed the complete program at the company and visualized each component to develop a systematic guide to achieving 100% on farm sustainability.
“I really wanted to be able to visualize the approaches taken on farm at Bobalu to develop a proper guide to maintain high quality and sustainability on every ranch long into the future,” Eric Valenzuela, director of food safety and quality, said in the release. “Once I did that, I created a company ‘Strawberry Farming Growing Cycle’ guide. At the end of the day, this all means best quality fruit by using best quality practices on farm, which delivers the best experience to the consumer.”
That guide has been shared and implemented throughout the company, putting the new certification quickly on the horizon, according to the company. Grower and managers, applicators, and certified pest control advisers worked together using the guide to achieve proven results, the release said.
“To achieve this certification, there are strict requirements to achieve,” Valenzuela said. “If one question is missed, we would essentially fail and not be certified. However, we had all the pieces put together, like a jigsaw puzzle. As the director of food safety and quality for Bobalu LLC, what I am most proud of is Mireya Cancino (food safety and quality assurance supervisor for Bobalu) working with Jorge Ambriz and Salvador Hernandez (Oxnard) and Tim Driscoll and Adrian Orozco. Mireya had to work each of those individuals in gathering information, looking at the farm tools and practices, to essentially break down the current program and rebuild it. But most importantly, simplify the process, so that it can be understood at all levels on all ranches.”
The certification was issued to Bobalu LLC by the Primus GFS Audit team, according to the release.
