Apr 22, 2024

Naturipe Farms highlights sustainability on Earth Day

Berry grower Naturipe Farms is celebrating a legacy of leadership in sustainability on Earth Day, April 22.

As of 2024, 28% of Naturipe Farms products are packed and/or cooled using renewable energy. This shift — which includes solar installations in New Jersey, California, and Chile — is partially responsible for Naturipe lowering its overall carbon emissions by 100,000 metric tons. Next month, it will celebrate the installation of the largest solar project to date.

“Our growers have worked hard to set a standard for sustainability while giving back to the communities they grow in,” Janis McIntosh, director of innovation and sustainability at Naturipe Farms, said in a news release. “As they continue to pioneer advancements in sustainability at all levels, Naturipe Farms must prioritize and sustain the long history of the family farms, the nucleus of our business.”

In addition to the pivot to renewable energy, Naturipe Farms is championing sustainability efforts in several other key areas. Its packaging continues to have a high level of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, including certified ocean-bound plastic. Two years ago, Naturipe committed to including prompts for consumers to recycle on its packaging.

With over 1,000 acres of pollinator habitats worldwide, Naturipe growers contribute to the protection and growth of pollinator communities. Additionally, Naturipe enriches soils by composting organic waste, including berry culls, leaves and stems, and returning it back to the earth. Regenerative growing techniques such as cover cropping and chop and drop pruning, that additionally feed and preserve the biological structures of the soil, are invaluable to its crops. For decades, judicial use of water has been part of Naturipe growers’ system plan, using metered drip irrigation, as well as capture and reuse techniques, such as tiling.

These efforts are the foundation of Naturipe’s Cultivate with Care program, which is a commitment to operate in a way that minimizes environmental impact and uplifts the communities it grows in. This Earth Day, Naturipe is proud to celebrate its leadership in the field — while continuing to develop opportunities to further improve the environment and  communities and sustain family farms. For more on Naturipe’s sustainability efforts, visit its website.