Del Monte Invests in Technology to Reduce the Gap between Farm & Table

by | Jan 23, 2019

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Del Monte Foods has just released its very first sustainability report; the food production and distribution giant says that its 2018 sustainability report focuses on the “vital” pillars of food chain transparency, investing in the future of food, caring for Earth’s goodness, and nurturing people. The company will use those four pillars to prioritize its direct actions in order to create a “sustainable business for the future,” says the company’s president and CEO, Greg Longstreet.

When it comes to its supply chain, Del Monte is piloting new technology to help it “reduce the gap between farm and family.” The tool, called CropTrak, lets the company track various data including traceability, sustainability, and customer audit information. For example, Del Monte can track disparate elements like nitrogen per crop produced, irrigation rates, and engagement with local communities. The company can also track the source of all ingredients using electronic tracking in less than four hours.

The tool helps the company improve crop projections and harvest, and streamlines grower and carrier payment and grading systems.

After a successful pilot of the software with some of the company’s vegetable growers in 2018, the goal is to roll out the CropTrak dashboard to the nearly 500 North American family vegetable farms Del Monte works with. CropTrak is a mobile and web-based agricultural platform that collects data on food production, quality, and operations, allowing users to mitigate risk and improve efficiency, the technology company says.

The company aligned its report with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, Del Monte says. The report covers the fiscal year 2018 for its entire corporate footprint, including locations in the US, Venezuela, and Mexico.

 

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