Published 10-08-03
Submitted by Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
SAI annually presents the award for innovative partnership to an organization that demonstrates superior performance in a verifiable and transparent multi-stakeholder initiative that addresses social or environmental concerns. Chiquita received the honor this year for its long-term partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, a leading international conservation organization, which set in motion the integration of corporate responsibility into Chiquita's core management and reporting systems.
"By taking the lead in the Rainforest Alliance's demanding and innovative program, Chiquita deserves the Corporate Conscience Award for the achievement of high standards for environmental and social stewardship," said Alice Tepper Marlin, president of Social Accountability International. "Chiquita is truly a pioneer, setting the highest standards for its own industry and others to follow."
Chiquita began working in 1992 to achieve certification of its Latin American banana farms to the Rainforest Alliance's rigorous environmental and social standards that are designed to promote sustainable land-use practices. In 2000, Chiquita achieved Rainforest Alliance certification on 100 percent of its Latin American farms, covering more than 60,000 acres. Chiquita has also worked with its independent growers to achieve the same standards, and now more than 65 percent of the company's purchased bananas from Latin America come from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms, up from 33 percent two years ago. In addition, two of the company's joint venture farms in the Philippines became the first in Asia to achieve certification.
"Adopting the Rainforest Alliance standard has been one of the smartest decisions Chiquita has ever made," said Cyrus Freidheim, Chiquita's chairman and chief executive officer. "Not only have we helped the environment and our workers - through better training and equipment, less use of agrichemicals and better systems for recycling and managing waste, for example - but we also learned that profound cultural change was possible."
"We are deeply committed to corporate responsibility, not simply as an element of our strategy, but because it's the right thing to do," Freidheim continued. "Our Core Values - Integrity, Respect, Opportunity and Responsibility - reflect what we stand for and how we want to do business as a brand, as a company and as individuals."
In addition to Rainforest Alliance certification, Chiquita is in the process of achieving compliance and third-party certification to SAI's Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000) international workplace standard in all of its owned banana divisions. The company's Costa Rica division achieved SA8000 certification in 2002, and its Colombia and Panama divisions are progressing toward certification in 2003.
Social Accountability International works to improve workplaces through the expansion and further development of SA8000 and its associated verification system. SAI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development, implementation and oversight of voluntary verifiable social accountability standards. SAI is committed to ensuring that standards and compliance verification systems are highly reputable and publicly accessible. For more information, visit SAI's web site at www.sa-intl.org.
The Rainforest Alliance is a leading international conservation organization whose mission is to protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that live within them by implementing better business practices for biodiversity conservation and sustainability. Additional information is available at www.ra.org.
Chiquita Brands International is a leading international marketer, producer and distributor of high-quality fresh and processed foods. The company's Chiquita Fresh division is one of the largest banana producers in the world and a major supplier of bananas in North America and Europe. Sold primarily under the premium Chiquita® brand, the company also distributes and markets a variety of other fresh fruits and vegetables. Additional information is available at www.chiquita.com.