DUBLIN, Ireland – Fyffes, one of the world’s largest banana importers and leading marketer of organic and Fairtrade bananas marks its 130th Anniversary this month. With annual turnover of €1.2 billion, the Dublin based company now ships 70 million boxes of bananas each year as well as melons, pineapples, mushrooms and much more. With longstanding well established partnerships in the tropics, Sumitomo as an exciting new business partner and an effective ripening and distribution infrastructure, the company feels well positioned to be able to provide responsibly sourced, high quality fruit for generations to come.
A milestone for fair trade. The Fyffes anniversary.
“By marking 130 years in the banana business we are shining the spotlight on the generations of wonderful people and partners who have contributed to our success over those years – and on those who will do so as we move forward” said David McCann, Fyffes Chairman, on the anniversary.
What began as a love story 130 years ago is still driven by a passion – though these days it’s for sustainability and quality. In 1888, Edward Wathen Fyffe took his beloved wife to the Canary Islands to recuperate from Tuberculosis. Thankfully, Ida made a full recovery and whilst looking after her, Edward became intrigued by the exotic yellow fruits being grown locally – so much so that he vowed there and then to find a way to bring them to the people of London. There were many problems to overcome but through determination and innovation he made it work. On 20th September 2018, it will be 130 years since his very first bananas were sold in Covent Garden, London.
That pioneering spirit has inspired a number of industry firsts and the development of a unique infrastructure built on partnership and innovation. Fyffes was not only the world’s first fruit brand, it was also one of the first to support Fairtrade bananas and is now one of the world’s leading Fairtrade banana supplier.
Our trading relationships with grower groups go back five decades in some cases and work with the community has been to mutual benefit. From large scale housing solutions and educational programs in Colombia, a reforestation project in Costa Rica, to a plastic recycling initiative with a school in Belize, the focus is on supporting local communities, protecting the environment and enriching peoples’ lives.
Storytelling to trade
In its anniversary year, Fyffes will be celebrating with customers and consumers in the local markets and focus on brand storytelling. There will be a commemorative sticker campaign and Fyffes social media channels will be used to bring to life an engaging brand story for consumers. With an interesting spin on the original Fyffes logo, the special edition stickers will be featured on all Fyffes bananas starting in September through early November. At the upcoming Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit, Fyffes invites retailers to discover more about its journey of partnership and innovation through the last 130 years.
For more information visit www.fyffes.com or Facebook.com/FyffesNA
PMA Fresh Summit Booth #3733.
About Fyffes
Fyffes is one of the largest and oldest tropical produce importers and distributors in Europe. With an infrastructure that reaches across the globe, Fyffes is truly a global player, primarily involved in the production, procurement, shipping, ripening, distribution and marketing of bananas, pineapples, melons and more recently mushrooms. Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2018, Fyffes has been committed to bringing the world the highest quality products, inspiring people to feel excitement about our brands and making a positive difference for our growers, our people, our customers, consumers and environment. Today, Fyffes is the largest importer of bananas in Europe, and the No. 1 importer of off-shore melons in North America. In addition to tropical fruit, Fyffes is the third largest producer of mushrooms in North America. Discover more about Fyffes at fyffes.com
Source: Fyffes
