Westfalia Fruit has updated its global sustainability strategy, structured around four key priorities: efficient water use, carbon management, waste reduction and biodiversity protection.
The company has already made progress in several of these areas. Between 2021 and 2025, the share of renewable electricity used across its operations increased from 18% to 58%, reaching 34,653 MWh of renewable electricity consumption in 2025. According to the company, this transition has contributed to an approximately 50% reduction in Scope 2 emissions over the same period.
The updated strategy has been developed with specialist support from NewForesight and includes specific roadmaps for each business unit, adapted to the risks and opportunities of the different regions where the company operates. The aim is to advance action on water, carbon, waste and biodiversity, while linking carbon management to the Group’s long-term target of achieving Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2049.
Increasing renewable electricity across operations
The transition towards renewable energy is being achieved through both on-site solar generation and the purchase of certified renewable electricity through instruments such as I-RECs and Guarantees of Origin.
Several packing facilities in the UK, Peru, Chile, the US and France are already operating on 100% renewable electricity, according to the company.
Westfalia Fruit has also begun measuring the carbon stored in the trees and soil on its farms. To do this, it has partnered with One Carbon World to establish baselines at eight farms in Chile, Peru and South Africa.
Collective action to address water scarcity
Water is another key priority within the updated strategy. In Chile’s Aconcagua Valley, Westfalia Fruit has been involved since 2021 in the WAVE Aconcagua Collective Action Project, which brings together 15 producers, international fresh produce companies, government bodies and technical partners.
The initiative addresses challenges that require coordinated action, including water scarcity, soil health and biodiversity loss. The project has developed farm-level roadmaps and is also participating in the Mesa Hídrica del Valle del Aconcagua, the main forum for water management in the region.
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“What’s different now is that we measure it site by site and act on what we find,” explains Johnathan Sutton, Chief R&D and Sustainability Officer at Westfalia Fruit, who highlights the progress made in renewable electricity and the company’s intention to apply the same approach to water, carbon, waste and biodiversity.
Waste reduction and biodiversity
The sustainability roadmaps also cover waste reduction and ecosystem protection. In South Africa, Westfalia Fruit’s customer fulfilment centres in Midrand are working towards using 100% recyclable packaging for avocado and mango products by the end of 2026.
In terms of biodiversity, the company is carrying out reforestation and pollination initiatives in Peru aimed at helping restore natural ecosystems in the areas where it farms.
Westfalia Fruit says the updated strategy will provide customers and commercial partners with clearer information on how its fruit is produced, the progress already achieved and the areas where further action is still required. This approach also extends to the company’s relationship with growers and local communities, both through its own farms and partnerships with smallholder producers.
