SHAFFE launches sustainability task force

SHAFFE (The Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters) has founded an ad-hoc taskforce on sustainability to identify common challenges and develop strategic recommendations on “what a sustainable produce industry could look like by 2030”.

Sustainability has become a recurring theme in the general business and public domain and is already having a significant impact on southern hemisphere produce industry exporters and growers, in terms of measuring and complying with sustainable practices.

In this context, the SHAFFE sustainability taskforce has the primary objective of identifying common challenges and outlining specific recommendations on the issue for members and industry related private and public stakeholders.

The taskforce has a concrete timeline and mandate, until the month of September 2021 to develop the first draft of a SHAFFE “white paper” that will outline key policy recommendations and future strategy and actions for the organization.

Current SHAFFE president, and Director of Marketing for Europe and Asia of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX), Charif Christian Carvajal said:

We are pleased that members have been very motivated to participate in this important initiative and that the group is composed of experienced industry professionals that come from a diverse array of member countries and which will undoubtedly enrich the exchange of information and applicability of the recommendations to be formulated by the taskforce.

Gabriel Wassermann from the Argentinian Blueberry Committee (Argentina) will be chairing the group which will have the valuable contributions from Jorge de Souza from Abrafrutas (Brazil), Ricardo Adonis from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association (Chile), Gary Jones from New Zealand Apple and Pears (New Zealand), Paul Hardman from Citrus Growers Association (South Africa) and Marta Bentancur from the Union of Fruit Producers and Exporters (Uruguay)

The taskforce will be meeting over the coming weeks, guided by a roadmap, which includes an initial kick-off meeting together with external experts to set the scene and define the current state of the art of sustainability in the produce industry and will then be followed up by a range of working sessions, coordinated by the Presidency team of SHAFFE and Nelli Hajdu, General Secretary of the organisation.