ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY - With an eye on shaping the future of produce at retail, Inserra Supermarkets has launched a new program that focuses on the benefits of organic and fair trade fruits and vegetables in the company’s ShopRite stores. Entitled Taste Me, Do Good*, the comprehensive program will include a new line of products that follow organic and fair trade guidelines, spanning categories including pears, apples, blueberries, strawberries, pineapples, and mangos.
"The program perfectly aligns with our family and company values of providing healthy and nutritious foods to people, giving back to the community, being committed to environmental sustainability, and taking care of the farmworkers who do the hard work of producing the foods we enjoy,” said Carl Inserra Jr. of Inserra Supermarkets ShopRite. “For us, it's a win-win—great products, a great story to tell, and a meaningful experience to bring to our customers."
According to a press release, the Taste Me, Do Good* program will showcase products that are grown with the highest levels of food safety and strict social and environmental standards in mind. Hoping to normalize the use of “model best practice” farms by retailers, the company works closely with farmers, who are often small and medium-sized operators, cooperatives, and rural workers.
“Our work creates a model for an agriculture of the future,” said Rafael Goldberg, CEO of Interrupcion, a marketer of the program’s products, in a report from source New City Patch. “Consumers get premium quality, great tasting, organic and fair trade products at a great value, and farmers and workers get dignified treatment and investment back into their communities. Our focus on organic and biodynamic agriculture is also a powerful way to protect the soil, water, and environment for future generations. It’s a win-win-win relationship for everyone involved.”
To tell this story, ShopRite stores will display colorful Taste Me, Do Good* displays, including bin graphics, signage, and an engaging social media campaign.
"On top of this program being very in-line with our company values, we're focused on bringing more and more organic items into our stores and providing the best quality product to our shoppers while creating great value for them,” says Eric Beelitz, Director of Produce for Inserra. “I'm really happy with what I've seen so far."
In addition to the new line of products and the increase in organic produce, Goldberg says that company will be providing its suppliers with the following:
- Financing
- Wuality assurance
- Agricultural technology
- Capacity building
- Technical support for organic farming and fair trade processes
- Bio-fertilizers
- Supply chain logistics services
As the industry keeps cranking out new and unique ways to get shoppes’ eyes on produce, AndNowUKnow will be there to report.
