Native to southeast Asia, mango trees thrive in tropical and subtropical climates all around the globe – Central and South America, the Caribbean, Florida, Hawaii, Asia, Africa, Australia, and parts of the Mediterranean. In these beautiful regions, mango farmers nurture and harvest this luscious nutritious fruit and share it with the world. This Earth Day, the National Mango Board (NMB) unveils its new creative video, Mangos: Farmed with Love. This video celebrates the beauty of a mango farm and the authentic culture and delicious cuisines within mango producing countries as it leads viewers through a journey from the mango tree all the way to their taste buds.
Driven by a passion for the land, the trees, and the fruit, mango growers work tirelessly to supply this delicious fruit to U.S. consumers. Each season, mango trees are flushed with pink blooms and from this tiny start, the mangoes grow and mature on the tree. When it’s time, each mango is carefully harvested by hand. This meticulous process provides jobs and support for the local communities and the markets they are exported to.
“We appreciate that many consumers are interested in where and how their food is grown. As mangos are largely imported to the U.S., unless you live in Hawaii, or parts of Florida and California, most U.S. consumers have not had the opportunity to pick a mango right from the tree,” stated Valda Coryat, Director of Marketing at the NMB. “Through this video we encourage consumers to travel with us, to see mangoes farmed by hand thereby gaining even greater appreciation for the tree and the growers as well as the culture and cuisine of sunny, mango growing regions.”
This Earth Day, we are also reminded that the planet where our mango trees grow is precious. For this reason, the NMB has invested in creating the first mango sustainability workbook. The NMB’s sustainability journey began in 2010 with an assessment of mango production and packing operations. In 2015, it expanded to include additional topics. Armed with the information of these assessments, the NMB invested in the development of the sustainability program to help the mango industry move through a path of both environmental and socio/economic changes. Adapting good sustainable practices will benefit the growers, packers, importers and consumers alike, the board says.
“The Mango Industry Sustainability Workbook unites environmental and social responsible practices to the mango industry,” stated Leonardo Ortega, Director of Research at the NMB. “The recommendations included in this workbook will build on the industry’s continuous efforts to grow and pack mangos which are safe, flavorful, and responsible towards the community they are grown in.” In the coming weeks the NMB will also debut a website dedicated entirely to mango sustainability and will serve as a resource for mango industry members who want to develop and document their own customized sustainability plan.
For more information:
Angela Serna
National Mango Board
Tel: +1 (407) 629-7318 ext. 113