Tropical fruit importer Fyffes released its biennial sustainability report on Sept. 18, covering 2023 to 2024 and highlighting its recent sustainability advances.
“At a time of significant global uncertainty and with climate change severely impacting growing conditions, I am extremely proud of what our team has achieved through innovative approaches and lateral thinking,” CEO Helge Sparsoe said at the report’s launch event.
“We are at the forefront of sustainability in our sector, always at the ready for our customers current and future sustainable and ethical supply chain requirements. Despite these challenges and the increasing regulatory differences in sustainability policy in consumer markets, we are steadfast in our commitment to shaping well-being for the world, both for people and planet,” Sparsoe added.
Report Findings Summary
According to the report, Fyffes made the following progress and achievements in some of its sustainability efforts:
- Emissions: reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions — emissions from sources Fyffes owns or controls directly and emissions resulting from the production of the energy it uses — in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq./kg) of fruit harvested by 12.05% compared to 2020 baseline as a result of using lower-nitrogen fertilizers and improving chemical application tools (goal of 25% reduction by end of 2025); reduced its Scope 3 emissions — those indirectly caused up and down the supply chain — in CO2 eq./kg of fruit harvested by 2.2% (goal of 25% reduction by end of 2025).
- Water: Made sure all of the farms it owns has a GlobalG.A.P. SPRING-certified water management plan (goal of 100% coverage by end of 2025).
- Packaging and food waste: Almost all — 99.6% — of packaging is recyclable, reuseable or compostable (goal of 100% coverage by end of 2025); reduced food loss in the production, storage, processing and distribution phase of the supply chain by 80% by repurposing potential lost food via donation for human use or as animal feed (goal of 80% reduction by end of 2030).
- Social responsibility: Provided 27 million meals to food banks and charities in vulnerable communities, either directly or through partner organizations (goal of 5 million meals by end of 2025); engaged 39% of communities that are nearby a Fyffes operation or where 15 or more employees live in a “resilient socio-economic community project” that works towards key community needs like improved healthcare or access to education (goal of 100% of communities engaged by 2030).
More information on other achievements and focus areas can be found in the report.
In the report, Sparsoe writes that 2025 is a pivotal year for the company, “marking the halfway point in both our 2030 Sustainability Strategy, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and our corporate strategy.”
The company’s current sustainability strategy runs through the end of 2030 and has four pillars: stewardship for the planet, healthy food for healthy lives, enriching people’s lives and responsible business practices — that encompass nine different key goals from the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Julie Cournoyer, global sustainability director for Fyffes, wrote in the report that the updated sustainability strategy will be presented in the next biennial sustainability report.
“This report highlights the progress we have made toward our sustainability targets to date, while we are already preparing for the next phase of our strategy,” she wrote of the current report.
“The accomplishments of the past two years would not have been possible without the collaboration of the entire organization,” she added.
