CHICAGO, IL – Jointly Hazel Technologies Inc., a USDA-funded company providing new technologies to extend the quality shelf life of produce and fight food waste, and AMR Agro, one of the largest tropical growers in the Dominican Republic, report the successful implementation of Hazel Tech® solutions across their global product offering.
The Dominican Republic has positioned itself to increase its share of the global avocado market through marketing campaigns, production optimizations and strategic exportation plans like the Executing Quality Export Program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These efforts are paying off and an increased global demand means farms are looking for new ways to extend their supply. AMR benefited from a 40% improvement in quality during the 2020 season noted by reduction of rejections at arrival and increased firmness. Now closing on their third year of partnership, AMR Agro confidently attributes their quality success to not only their experienced farm practices, but also to the Hazel technology that was first introduced to their operations in 2018.
“We started three years ago in commercial trials and have grown the program ever since’” commented Raul Reyes, Co-Owner of Dominican Republic-based AMR Agro, “Hazel Tech’s ability to tailor their easy-to-use solutions for various tropical commodities allows us to not only use Hazel Tech to protect our top selling products, but also enhance our export programs to long-distance locations like Spain, Holland, France, and U.K.”
For international freight programs extending shelf life by double digits amounts to significant savings for both the shipper and receiver. During initial trials Hazel Tech’s ability to protect the tropical avocados’ firmness foreshadowed the potential to positively impact AMR Agro’s bottom line for years to come. Today with Hazel Tech fully integrated throughout AMR Agro’s operations ”we see waste reduction savings of as much as $3,200 per container. Over the past three years AMR shipped upwards of 300 containers worldwide, the value of Hazel translates to over $500K in savings and a more sustainable global environment,” commented Reyes.
“The global impact that Hazel Technologies can make in the reduction of food waste is profound and what drives our company to continue to innovate and expand our reach,” commented Aidan Mouat, CEO, Hazel Technologies, “According to a recent report with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, tropicals show the fastest average annual growth rate among all internationally traded food commodities, developing more waste-reducing technologies for the tropical fruit supply chain is a top priority.”
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About Hazel Technologies:
Hazel Technologies is a USDA-funded startup company that develops new solutions to extend the quality shelf life of fresh produce and reduce food waste. Founded in 2015, Hazel Tech® services over 150 of the world’s largest fresh produce packers, shippers, and retailers. Selected as a Finalist for Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas and winner of “Best Sustainable Packaging” at the 2020 World Food Innovation Awards, the company’s patent-pending technologies have been tested by top academic research programs including UC Davis, Cornell University, and Oregon State University. In 2020, Hazel was used on over 3.2 billion pounds of fresh produce, preventing more than 270 million pounds from going to waste.
For more information, visit www.hazeltechnologies.com.
About AMR Agro:
A little more than a decade ago, a group of young Dominicans, with an avant-garde vision of commerce, started an agricultural project in the fields of the Dominican Republic. In the beginning they were dedicated to planting and harvesting cocoa, avocado, lemon and orange. AMR Agro now exports fruits across the world from the fertile soils of the Dominican Republic.
For more information, visit www.amragro.com
