SAN ANTONIO — More than 1,800 elementary and junior high school-aged children are learning firsthand about Mother Earth through an educational program that trains teachers and students about the production and consumption of food. NatureSweet® has partnered with a nonprofit, Fundación EDUCA México A.C., to help create herb, fruit, and vegetable gardens at schools near six NatureSweet facilities throughout Mexico. The program is called “Escuelas Por La Tierra” and six separate gardens have been established at schools that are near NatureSweet facilities located in San Isidro, Zapotlán, Nayarit, Tuxcacuesco, Colima, and the company’s Guadalajara office. Fast-growing seeds that attract pollinators and germinate quickly have already been planted such as amaranth, radish, lettuce, carrot, beets, cilantro, celery, pumpkin, green tomato, pea, purslane, chard, and parsley.
“What a great opportunity for our communities to learn more about agriculture and how each of us can play a role in sustainable development,” says Fernanda Suarez, Sustainability and Social Impact Director at NatureSweet. “It was a joy watching the children’s faces light up as they helped plant and water the seedlings.”
NatureSweet has provided the financial support to sustain the program which is divided into stages. Volunteers and staff from both NatureSweet and Fundación Educa México helped kick off the program by creating the gardens. During the next phase, teachers and students will learn how to care for the fruits and vegetables and maintain the gardens. The “Escuelas Por La Tierra” program is one of the many initiatives NatureSweet is committed to regarding the company’s sustainability and social responsibility efforts.
About NatureSweet® (NS Brands, Ltd.):
NatureSweet® is the single-source solution for greenhouse-grown vegetables and is the #1 best-selling brand in snacking tomatoes. The largest vertically integrated agriculture company in North America, NatureSweet guarantees great tasting produce year-round, both organic and conventional. Our vegetables are carefully grown, harvested, and packaged by more than 6,000 directly employed company Associates. NatureSweet tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers are handpicked at the peak of freshness and sold at major supermarket retailers throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Our commitment is to transform the lives of agricultural workers throughout North America. This work, as well as our efforts around sustainability, have led us to earn Fair Trade and EFI certifications. NatureSweet is dedicated to having a positive social, environmental, and economic impact within our communities.
