CMI Orchards has been named a 2026 SEAL Sustainability Awards winner in two categories. The company received recognition for Sustainability Innovation for its Planet Positive™ program and Sustainable Products for its carbon-negative apples, pears, and cherries.
The SEAL Business Awards are presented annually to companies whose environmental initiatives demonstrate defined objectives, implementation, and measurable outcomes across different sectors and regions.
CMI's Planet Positive program was recognised under the Sustainability Innovation category. The program brings together orchard-level practices that include carbon accounting, regenerative soil management, waste reuse, and environmental reporting within CMI's production systems. According to the company, the program is applied across its orchard operations and is intended to address production efficiency, soil health, and emissions management.
© CMI Orchards
"We are deeply honored to receive the SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award in recognition of our Planet Positive program," said Bob Mast, President of CMI Orchards. "At its core, Planet Positive reflects our belief that farming should leave the land better than we found it. By cultivating carbon negative orchards, regenerating soil, producing nutrient-rich fruit, upcycling waste, and operating with transparency and trust, we're helping move the fresh produce industry forward while giving families confidence in the food they bring home."
CMI also received a SEAL Sustainable Product Award for its carbon-negative apples, pears, and cherries. The company states that these products offset on-farm emissions through soil-based carbon sequestration practices. Carbon negative production aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by storing more carbon in soil than is emitted during production.
The company's approach includes the use of its Soil Center, which processes orchard by-products into soil amendments used by growers. According to CMI, this closed-loop system supports waste reduction and long-term soil carbon storage while contributing to orchard management.
© CMI Orchards
"We are honored to receive the SEAL Sustainable Product Award for our carbon-negative apples, pears, and cherries," said Rose Vejvoda, Sustainability Manager at CMI Orchards. "This recognition highlights meaningful progress in regenerative agriculture and offers consumers fruit that fully offsets its growing emissions. Between 2022 - 2025, the Soil Center project generated more than 700,000 carbon credits by storing carbon in the soil, where it delivers lasting environmental value. We remain committed to expanding these practices, increasing sequestration, and strengthening sustainability across our supply chain."
The 2026 SEAL Sustainability Award recipients also include companies from infrastructure, industrial, and technology sectors such as DP World, Hitachi Energy, Saudi Aramco, and Lenovo.
CMI Orchards operates as a grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears, and cherries and continues to apply its sustainability programs across its production and supply chain operations.
© CMI OrchardsFor more information:
Kaci Komstadius
CMI Orchards
Tel: +1 509 888 0536
Email: [email protected]
www.cmiorchards.com
