Fresca Group has always dealt in avocados but recently launched a marketing company solely dedicated to avocados: The Avocado Company. Now firmly established and growing quickly, the business is looking to secure their position into the future. They’re doing this through a focus on marketing a ‘better’ avocado and by building a reputation for working only with suppliers who can demonstrate solid ethical credentials.
One such supplier is their Colombian grower partner, Cartama. Together with Cartama Fresca has invested in over 80,000 trees and 422 hectares of avocado orchards in the mountains of Antioquia, 
Colombia. Paul Frowde, General Manager of The Avocado Company, explains: “We wanted to be much more closely involved further down the supply chain, and becoming the grower gives us a much deeper understanding of the full picture behind the final fruit on shelf. Cartama are market leaders in Colombia, leading the surge in avocado farming there. We’ve developed a great partnership.”
"Our Colombian farms were previously used for cattle farming, but we’ve been able to convert the land and re-train the workers to become Hass specialists. We’ve also been able to plant the area without any deforestation and without diverting water courses. Young trees are produced in our own nursery and the high altitude brings us two harvest windows across the year.”
People in the local community have warmly welcomed the arrival of Cartama and this avocado production. The employment and training opportunities are very popular with the company renowned for its good treatment of staff and projects within the community.
The first commercial harvest from the newly planted farm will be available from 2021, but The Avocado Company already markets production from Cartama, shipping to the UK and into markets further afield.
The Avocado Company will be at Fruit Logistica as part of the Fresca stand Hall 7.2c A-03
For more information:
Judy Whittaker
Tel: +44 1892 831222
judy.whittaker@frescagroup.co.uk