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Soaking Up The Sunshine

The California table grape industry breaks records
Grapes-Soaking-Up-Sunshine

Protecting the Planet
Galvan believes being environmentally responsible is “More than consumer driven, it’s life driven. We must take care of our planet if we expect it to take care of us.”

Ford looks at sustainability through the lens of organics; the transition to dealing exclusively in organics was “one of biggest things we’ve implemented as a company.” He also cites the pertinence of traceability and transparency, and believes more consumers will demand to know where their food comes from—not just from a food safety standpoint, but fair working conditions as well. “Labor is the next big thing, with equity of wages and working conditions.”

The biggest obstacle with organic grapes, however, is “developing a year-round supply for North America.” Currently, the organic table grape season is May through November, with little supply coming in from exporters.

Grapes_Fresh ForumAlthough Peru has some organic grape growers, acreage is sparse, so availability is a factor. Despite this, the organic table grape sector continues to expand with new plantings. “There is still room to grow in the organic sector,” says Ford. “It’s really gaining traction in the mainstream and had a lot of growth in the last couple years with more retailers and consumers demanding organic.”

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