Our business depends on responsible stewardship of nature, the source of our produce that will sustain our future.
Corn harvest in the US
As a food company, our produce relies on responsible stewardship of nature to sustain our future. We continuously improve our agricultural practices and oversight of growers, and communicate our Environmental Policy to our stakeholders.
As climate change shifts environmental patterns, the Group makes our business more resilient through investment in sustainable agriculture and biodiversity protection which DMPL is committed to.
Del Monte Foods, Inc.’s (DMFI) Research and Development team has been developing new seed varieties that improve yields, reduce water usage and reliance on fertilizer and pesticides.
One important aspect of our sustainable agriculture approach is our seed breeding program. Ninety percent of our green beans and 30 percent of our corn come from seeds developed by Del Monte Foods.
We test thousands of new seed breeding lines every year on pilot plots for product quality, yield, and pest, drought and disease resistance. The strongest lines are tested three more times in progressively larger plots to further evaluate them for nutrient content, disease resistance, machine harvestability and more. Once approved, these varieties are added to our Del Monte Foods Approved Variety List and can be used by any of our growers.
Efficient and ecological land use management is foundational to Del Monte Philippines, Inc.’s (DMPI) sustainable agricultural practices which started nearly a century ago in 1926. Our farming pioneers did not clear forests to establish pineapple fields. Additional land later acquired was cultivated with other crops.
Our land-use practices have been focused on improving plantation yield through ecologically friendly land preparation, use of sustainable planting materials, plant nutrient application, efficient water sourcing, drainage and plant disease management.
DMPI complies with environmental regulations and requirements of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Solid and Hazardous Waste Management.
Certification audits are conducted on a periodic basis to ensure the Company complies with the certification standards including environmental audits. GLOBALG.A.P. and PhilGAP certification includes Environment Management System (Site Management, Soil Management, Fertilizer Application Management, Water Management, Integrated Pest Management and Plant Protection Products Management), Food Safety, Quality Management System, and Workers Occupational Health and Safety.
DMPI’s Internal Audit covers environmental compliance as part of its annual audit plan.
DMPI’s close-to-a-century of growing and manufacturing attests to how it has sustained its operations.
As efficient management of soil directly impacts our long-term productivity, we focused on regenerating topsoil and improving biodiversity on and below the ground.DMFI proactively works closely with growers on sustainability initiatives. Wysocki Produce Farms, a Del Monte Foods grower for over 40 years, implemented an approach called Farming Full Circle which converts 100 percent of their irrigation systems to low pressure decreasing loss to evaporation by 30 percent, and plants cover crops on their 12 hectare potato fields.
As with any producer of agricultural products, water is one of our largest impact areas. It is critical to our growing and packing operations and access to it is threatened by climate change.
The Group implements the least water-intensive cultivation methods available and encourages the use of more water-efficient irrigation systems. DMPL follows strict protocols around our well water use and sprays discharge for the water used in our manufacturing process.
We help growers apply the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to minimize pesticides.
Del Monte Foods, Inc. (DMFI) connects our growers and consumers through partnership with the Stewardship Index of Specialty Crops organization and CropTrak™ for their crop data management system, providing detailed information on how vegetables are grown.
Grape vineyard in California, USA
Clean-up drive in the plantation
Del Monte Pacific aims to reduce the overall consumption of raw materials in our operation, encourage the reuse of materials, and promote responsible disposal. The Group actively seeks ways to divert food waste from landfill, including through upcycling. A dedicated task force finds new uses for waste streams.
Climate change is a business risk, from altering the growing season to delaying shipments due to extreme weather and increasing costs for resilience measures. To reduce carbon emissions, we have undertaken initiatives to explore more efficient energy sources, strengthen energy conservation in worksites, and reduce process waste.
Solar panels in Hanford facility in California, USA
Contadina (only accessible in the Philippines)
Del Monte Careersc/o 17 Bukit Pasoh Road Singapore 089831 Tel: (65) 6324 6822 Fax: (65) 6221 9477