As part of their continued effort to aid in creating a healthier, more sustainable world, Veg-Fresh Farms is proud to announce that two of their premier growing partners have recently achieved Rainforest Alliance certification.
“It’s very exciting for us to be able to say our tomatoes are from a Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farm. The audit process our growing partners went through was very thorough, and required them to pass environmental, social, and economic standards set by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) in order to achieve the global recognition of being Rainforest Alliance Certified,” said Randy Cancellieri, Partner at Veg-Fresh Farms.
In order to become certified, farms must meet criteria set by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), and are audited to make sure that they are complying with SAN’s comprehensive guidelines. These guidelines help enforce social accountability at every level in the growing process. The SAN standard is built on these important principles of sustainable farming:
• Biodiversity conservation
• Improved livelihoods and human well-being
• Natural resource conservation
• Effective planning and farm management systems
“The Rainforest Alliance is an incredible organization. Their mission is to protect the environment and promote the rights and well-being of workers, their families, and communities. It means our tomatoes are more than organically grown and sustainably packaged; consumers can feel confident supporting a product in which the entire ecosystem it was produced in was an ethical one,” continued Cancellieri.
Rainforest Alliance certification prohibits farms from using forced labor or hiring anyone under the age of 15. Farm group administrators work to provide healthcare for workers and access to education for children. Workers are protected from excessive work hours, wage withholding and other exploitative practices. Certification also helps protect ecosystems, including wildlife habitat, water and soil.
Contact:
Carrie Robertson
Veg-Fresh Farms
Tel: 714-446-8800