Fyffes banana farm Esmeralda, in Costa Rica, says it is the first in the world to receive the new Rainforest Alliance certification, version 2020, which deploys a radically new management system approach to environmental, labour, social and economic risks.
According to Fyffes, the Rainforest Alliance chose Fyffes for the field implementation of its new certification. It includes new concepts such as a gender equality program at the worker level and the implementation of a salary matrix tool resulting from a previous joint project. A broader occupational risk assessment mechanism has also been introduced, aimed at achieving a comprehensive operations management plan and a clearer business focus towards sustainability, among other objectives.
According to Jakeline Rodriguez, senior associate (fruit sector) of Rainforest Alliance, they chose to work with Fyffes due to its positive track record with the use of the Rainforest Alliance standards and due to Fyffes’ successful partnership on previous projects, such as the Living Wage project in Belize.
