Chiquita joins the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform

With its induction into the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform, Chiquita anticipates the planned implementation of the SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment 3.0 across its farms, according to a news release.

“Chiquita continues to be committed to preserving the Tropics while empowering the communities that reside there,” Peter Stedman, director of sustainability for Chiquita, said in the release. “By working hand in hand with leading sustainability organizations such as SAI Platform, we can assess farming operations and create practices that optimize our sustainability in these areas. By joining this global platform, the brand is able to share key insights into its sustainability efforts while learning from other leaders in agricultural farming.”

The SAI Platform is a community of more than 170 member companies, united by a purpose and the belief that the planet and the people who live on it are worth caring for, the release said.

The Farm Sustainability Assessment is an industry-recognized toolset that serves as a global verification framework for sustainable farming and sourcing practices, which enables companies to assess their sustainability practices and audit practices on 11 sustainability measures, including labor conditions, water management, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, the release said.

Chiquita said it is committed to celebrating and preserving the tropics and its inhabitants through the company’s all-encompassing “Behind the Blue Sticker” strategic approach, which implements the principles of sustainability with three main elements: The Farmers Code — focused on their farms and operations; Being a Good Neighbor — to communities; and For the Greater Good — of the industry and planet, the release said. Last year, the company announced its “30by30” sustainability program, which aims to reduce carbon emissions across brand operations by 30% by the end of 2030. With this program, Chiquita is the first global fruit company to be recognized by the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi), according to the release.

“We’re proud to welcome Chiquita to SAI Platform, which was created to promote the worldwide development of sustainable agriculture,” Joe Rushton, FSA director for SAI Platform, said in the release. “The FSA will provide Chiquita and its suppliers with an industry-recognized way of assessing, improving and verifying on-farm sustainability performance. We look forward to creating positive change together.”