Costa Group, a global grower, packer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables, has released its 2024 Sustainability Report.
Committed to integrating sustainability into all aspects of its operations, our 2024 Sustainability Report highlights ongoing actions and achievements in areas including renewable energy, water efficiency and packaging.
The report also highlights our focus on the safety of our people and the importance we place on supporting our local communities, both in Australia and our international operations in China and Morocco.
Key highlights include:
- Installation of nine new solar systems across five locations.
- Transitioned plastic packaging for grapes and citrus to paper and trialled paper-based recyclable band for packaging kids’ size bananas.
- Integrated beneficial insects and organic products to control pest and disease and reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
- Implemented new data systems to improve crop forecasting accuracy and optimal crop load management to reduce fruit waste.
- Implemented a new safety strategy – Vision Zero Zero Serious Injuries.
- Donated a total of 252,444 kg of fruit and vegetables to Foodbank Australia, the equivalent of 454,854 meals and donated to school breakfast programs and community organisations across multiple sites.
Costa has also continued to work with multiple community organisations in the communities in which we farm. This included the Well Grown Community Grants Program, which provided funding for local projects in the Guyra/Armidale region. Costa was also a sponsor of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation Sustainability Solutions Award, presented at Parliament House in Canberra.
