What does Sustainably Sourced actually mean?

Sustainably Sourced Fruit. You may have seen or heard us mention that the fruit and vegetables in our smoothies is all sustainably sourced…..but what does that actually mean?

There is no legal definition to the term but Sustain defines it as food that is produced in ways that:

• Contribute to thriving local economies and sustainable livelihoods.

• Protect the diversity of both plants and animals and the welfare of farmed and wild species,

• Avoid damaging or wasting natural resources or contributing to climate change;

So can we actually back up our sustainably sourced claim?

We can. All the fruit and vegetables used in our smoothies are sustainably sourced by our partner Crop’s, located in Belgium. Crop’s own farms throughout the world not only to ensure the quality of the fruit but to ensure working conditions are good, everything is done to protect the diversity of the area and to ensure natural resources are not wasted.

Water is a scarce and invaluable resource in Costa Rica, so Crop’s constructed a water purification system which enables them to reuse water for hydration of the fruits. Crop’s are also committed to protecting the indigenous wildlife. Their pineapple fields have many patches of jungle within them to allow wildlife to freely move through.

In Morocco Crop’s use the natural environment to the maximum. To reduce strawberry loss due to fungi the Bumble Bees used for pollination initially pass through a bath of fungicide and apply it directly to the flowers only. Also the application of pesticides is carried out by spiders reducing the requirement for harmful chemicals. Crop’s also sponsor a local school in Morocco.

In Serbia Crop’s have invested in mechanical picking to improve conditions for the workers and have also opened an Agroshop next to the factory. Local growers visit the shop for information, technical support and the purchase of related materials. Also at Crop’s Belgium HQ 100% of the energy is green and partly self produced.