One of REWE’s sustainability projects is the banana fund. The fund is an initiative of REWE and is it used to improve the environmental and social conditions in South and Central America. And now REWE linked the sustainability weeks to a fundraiser: Customers who buy "REWE Best choice" or "Chiquita” bananas help the development of the fund. For every kilo of bananas sold REWE puts 10 Eurocents in the banana fund. With it projects to sustainably cultivate bananas in Costa Rica and Panama are supported.
The own brand bananas (REWE Beste Wahl) can be recognized by the blue white PRO PLANET-Label of the REWE Group. This way REWE offers their customers a reliable guide for those customers who want to consider the environment and working conditions when they are shopping. In the REWE stores more than 500 different products with the PRO PLANET-Label can be found.
The PRO PLANET bananas REWE Group are based on the Rainforest Alliance, an international environmental organization. The main requirement is that all producers of PRO PLANET bananas are Rainforest Alliance certified. And the bananas must meet other criteria before they get the PRO PLANET label.
Since 2007 REWE Group has been involved in the sustainable production of bananas and has been financing projects in the countries of origin. To finance these projects and support further measures REWE Group founded the banana fund in 2013. REWE Group put 900,000 Euros in the fund to finance projects that improve the environment and living conditions. The focus lies on projects for children and youth.
Organizations can apply for funding for their projects from the banana fund if they have an independent multi-stakeholder committee with representatives from local non-governmental organizations (social organizations, environmental organizations, workers unions, among others) who work the German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ) with the REWE Group. Project applications will be evaluated on the basis of selection criteria and submitted to an advisory board of representatives from Chiquita, Dole, Caritas and the REWE Group for review and approval. The German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ) controls the implemented policies.
Customers who buy bananas during the sustainability weeks from 11 to 23 April are supporting projects in Changuinola (a nature reserve), Teobroma (a health and nutrition center) in Panama and Gavilán (drink water supply) Costa Rica.