For the banana industry, 2018 started out rough with a prolonged period of supply shortage. “Back in May, the weather came around and Mother Nature finally started cooperating with us,” says Mayra Velazquez de León with Organics Unlimited. “In addition to Mexico, sourcing with organic farmers in Ecuador helped in providing a reliable supply of organic bananas until the weather allowed for production to return to peak year-round supply.”
Increased organic production
In fact, supply of bananas is very strong currently. First of all, Mexico has a particularly good environment for growing organic produce, but the cooperative weather conditions certainly help as well.
Furthermore, Organics Unlimited has been adding organic farmland to reinforce its year-round organic banana supply. “We started our land expansion project in 2015 with 1,087 acres of farmland in Colima, Mexico and will end up with 1,865 acres by the end of 2018,” Velazquez de León shared. “We continue to increase production for future demand.”
Back to school
Consumption of organic bananas continues to gain strength as the market becomes educated on the health benefits of organic food and actively supports companies that ethically grow sustainable produce. “This time of the year, consumption is extraordinarily strong as students have gone back to school and families settle back into more regular routines,” mentioned Velazquez de León. “This includes packing healthy, organic bananas into lunch bags and boxes.”
September GROW Month
To create awareness for sustainability, Organics Unlimited created its GROW social responsibility initiative back in 2005. Since then, through retailer and distributor support, GROW organic bananas have provided over $2 million in aid to promote sustainability, education and health care to underserved communities in banana growing regions of Mexico and Ecuador through the sale of GROW label organic bananas.
For each box of GROW bananas sold, a percentage is earmarked for the GROW fund. This fund is used for youth education programs and scholarships, health clinics, dental and vision care in Mexico, clean water and early childhood education programs in Ecuador as well as disaster relief and environmental initiatives. “We have designated the month of September to be GROW Month – a time to raise awareness for our responsibility programs,” said Velazquez de León. In the US and Canada, GROW bananas account for 85 percent of Organics Unlimited’s banana sales.
PMA Fresh Summit
Next month, Organics Unlimited will be exhibiting at PMA Fresh Summit. “It’s a very important show for us,” said Velazquez de León. “On a number of levels, this is a very productive event. Each fall, this gathering of produce industry personnel provides an ideal setting to share the exciting developments of our company while getting an opportunity to visit with our current customers and meet new potential customers.” In addition, the company is completing its farmland expansion project in Mexico and added fourth-generation family member Daniella Velazquez de León to the organic banana growing team earlier this year.
Organics Unlimited is looking forward to the event. Please stop by booth #4131 to say hello.
The team of Organics Unlimited at last year's PMA Fresh Summit in New Orleans.
For more information:
Mayra Velazquez de León
Organics Unlimited
Tel: (+1) 619-710-0658
mayra@organicsunlimited.com
www.organicsunlimited.com