As numerous industry players prepare to gather in Berlin for ‘Fruit Logistica’ from 5 to 7 April, 2022, the world’s leading trade fair for the fresh fruit industry, the Westfalia fruit group will be unveiling a collection of innovative initiatives as part of its drive towards sustainable production.

Water conservation

In one key initiative, Westfalia Fruit has pioneered a low-flow drip irrigation technique for avocado growing. It saves a large volume of water and it’s estimated that the approach will bring an overall 50% efficiency boost in farms where it is implemented. In use in several of Westfalia’s farms across South Africa, Portugal, Chile, and Mozambique, the technology will be rolled out across its global farming portfolio as old orchards are replanted with new ones.

Sustainable packaging

At the same time, Westfalia Fruit’s business in France, has launched a new range of environmentally and consumer friendly packaging for avocados, dramatically reducing the use of plastic while successfully maintaining fruit quality. The cardboard in the zero plastic options is fully compostable and made with FSC certified materials, the only timber certification scheme endorsed by the conservation organisation WWF.

Johnathan Sutton, group safety & environmental executive at Westfalia Fruit said, “As a leading multinational supplier of avocados and a range of fresh vegetables and fruit we are committed to protecting precious water resources, reducing waste and becoming ‘lifetime carbon neutral’ by 2049, the 100-year anniversary of the establishment of our first farm in South Africa."

Find out more about these and other sustainability initiatives as well as how you can work with Westfalia Fruit at its booth: Hall 5.2, stand D-01.