Climate Change Data

Fyffes Limited

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2019-2020)

Reporting Period: 2019-2020

Environmental Metrics

Total Carbon Emissions:178,000 t CO2 eq.
Carbon Intensity:0.21 t CO2 eq./t of fruit

ESG Focus Areas

  • Stewardship for the Planet
  • Healthy Food for Healthy Lives
  • Enriching People’s Lives
  • Principles of Responsible Business Conduct

Environmental Achievements

  • Inaugurated new packhouse in Anexco (Costa Rica) with energy efficiency improvements (LED bulbs, high-efficiency air compressors, VSDs), resulting in significant energy cost savings.
  • Completed energy-efficiency upgrades in Guaria banana farm packhouse (Costa Rica).
  • Completed ultra-energy efficient ripening rooms in Basingstoke (UK), significantly reducing CO2 emissions.
  • Implemented a closed-water recycling system at Esmeralda banana farm (Costa Rica), reducing water consumption from 200 liters to 40 liters per box of bananas.
  • Irrigation improvements in Belize saved an average of 313.4 million liters of water per year.
  • Introduced a fully recyclable paper band for bananas, saving 1.5 to 2 tonnes of plastic per week.
  • 100% of paper used in cardboard boxes comes from Sustainable Forestry Initiative certified sources.
  • Transported 100% of melons on reusable CHEP pallets, saving 3.8 million kilograms of landfill waste and avoiding 1.8 million kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Social Achievements

  • Completed a corporate-wide Human Rights Impact Assessment.
  • Launched a Gender Equality Programme in Costa Rica and Honduras.
  • Implemented a global, independent, UN Guiding Principle-compliance grievance mechanism (Fyffes Ethics Hotline).
  • Launched global e-training on the Fyffes Principles.
  • Donated surplus food to food banks in Latin America, North America, and Europe.
  • Provided COVID-19 emergency relief efforts, including mask donations and healthcare brigade support.
  • Invested over US$1.4 million in community engagement initiatives.
  • Supported career development of young people through internship and graduate programmes.

Governance Achievements

  • Published the Fyffes Principles, a universal code of conduct.
  • Established the Fyffes Ethics Hotline.

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Achieve 100% sustainable packaging by 2025.
  • 100% of own operations to have water management plans by 2025.
  • Improve the resilience of 2,000 smallholders to climate change by 2030.
  • 100% of Fyffes ‘neighbouring’ communities engaged in resilient socio-economic community projects by 2030.
Medium-term Goals:
  • Reduce food loss by 80% in all own operations by 2030.
  • Provide five million healthy meals to vulnerable communities by 2025.
  • Develop one new application for each core product by 2030.
  • Educate three million people on healthy eating habits and food waste minimisation by 2025.
  • 100% of own sites in Latin America to benefit from Gender Equality Programmes by 2025.
  • 50% of suppliers to benefit from Gender Equality Programmes by 2030.
  • Eradicate gender pay gap in own operations by 2030.
  • 100% of Fyffes workers and supply chain workers trained on human rights by 2030; 100% of managers and employees by 2025.
Short-term Goals:
  • Reduce carbon emissions by 25% by 2025 (Scope 1 and 2).

Environmental Challenges

  • Climate change impacts on agriculture.
  • Food loss and waste.
  • COVID-19 pandemic disruptions.
  • Gender inequality in Latin America.
  • Human rights risks in supply chain (child labor, migrant worker exploitation).
  • Public criticism regarding union representation at Honduran melon farms.
  • Workplace accident resulting in employee fatality.
Mitigation Strategies
  • Greenhouse gas emissions inventory and reduction targets.
  • Partnerships with food banks and charities.
  • Enhanced biosafety measures and PPE donations.
  • Human Rights Prevention and Mitigation Plan.
  • Gender Equality Programme.
  • Freedom of association training.
  • Investigation and preventative measures following workplace accident.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 70 SMETA audits in 2019, 44 in 2020 (January-March) due to COVID-19.

Responsible Procurement
  • Fyffes Principles
  • Fairtrade certification
  • Rainforest Alliance certification
  • SMETA audits
  • Specific retailer ethical standards (e.g., Costco, Walmart)

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks
  • Climate change impacts on agriculture

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards: Core Option

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • 2.1
  • 2.2
  • 2.3
  • 2.4
  • 5.1
  • 5.2
  • 5.B
  • 6.4
  • 8.5
  • 8.7
  • 8.8
  • 9.4
  • 12.2
  • 12.3
  • 12.5
  • 13.2
  • 13.B

Fyffes targets are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Sustainable Products & Innovation

  • Climate-neutral bananas (partnership with PLUS Supermarket)

Awards & Recognition

  • Anexco awarded ‘Exporter of the Year’ by the Costa Rican Chamber of Exporters.
  • Anexco received Rainforest Alliance Certification.