Salinas, Calif.-based berry grower Naturipe Farms highlighted its ongoing sustainability efforts with Earth Day observances on April 22.
As of 2024, Naturipe Farms says 28% of its products are packed and cooled using renewable energy, according to the company. This shift toward renewable energy includes solar installations in New Jersey, California and Chile and is partially responsible for Naturipe lowering its overall carbon emissions by 100,000 metric tons, according to a news release.
The company says in May it will celebrate the installation of the largest solar project to date.
“Our growers have worked hard to set a standard for sustainability while giving back to the communities they grow in,” Janis McIntosh, director of innovation and sustainability at Naturipe Farms, said in the release. “As they continue to pioneer advancements in sustainability at all levels, Naturipe Farms must prioritize and sustain the long history of the family farms, the nucleus of our business.”
In addition to the pivot to renewable energy, Naturipe Farms is championing sustainability efforts in several other key areas, the release said.
The marketer’s packaging continues to have a high level of post-consumer recycled content including certified ocean-bound plastic. Naturipe Farms says it understands that PCR is critical to the circular economy, therefore, two years ago committed key real estate on its brand label to prompt consumers to recycle.
With over 1,000 acres of pollinator habitats worldwide, Naturipe growers contribute to the protection and growth of pollinator communities, according to the release.
Additionally, Naturipe enriches its soils by composting organic waste — such as berry culls, leaves and stems — and returning it back to the earth. Regenerative growing techniques such as cover cropping and chop and drop pruning, which additionally feed and preserve the biological structures of the soil, also are practiced, the release said.
The company says it also uses metered drip irrigation, as well as capture and reuse techniques such as tiling.
Those efforts are the foundation of Naturipe’s Cultivate with Care program, which is Naturipe’s commitment to operate in a way that minimizes their environmental impact and uplifts the communities the company operates, the release said.
Related link: More on Naturipe Farms sustainability efforts
