WATSONVILLE, CA – APR 19, 2023 – California Giant Berry Farms today announced the Sustainably Grown certification of Wysiwyg Farms, strategic strawberry grower-partner for California Giant. The certification was awarded by SCS Global Services (SCS), an internationally recognized third-party certification leader. Wysiwyg Farms, located in Watsonville, California, is the second strawberry operation in the world to achieve this prestigious certification, following another grower-partner of California Giant, Satsuma Farms, who was the first.
“As leaders in agriculture, we take our commitment to protecting our most precious natural resources seriously because our futures depend on it,” said Joe Barsi, president of California Giant. “We are constantly challenging ourselves and our growers to find the best ways to reduce water usage, improve air quality, and support the ecosystems in our growing areas and beyond. The recent certification of Wysiwyg Farms demonstrates our commitment to farming for the future and aligns with our strategic sustainability goals.”
Deeply rooted in stewardship of the land, California Giant’s strategic plan adheres to a triple bottom line approach to sustainability of: People, Planet, and Profit. The berry company’s goal is to hone in on the three pillars of the triple bottom line and ensure all aspects of sustainable agriculture are being served with intent and attention to better serve our customers and the community.
For grower-partner Wysiwyg Farms, sustainability simply makes sense. Recent years have shown a marked increase in buyer and consumer interest in produce grown sustainably, with emphasis on equitable social practices. This certification further exemplifies Wysiwyg farm’s founding principles of good stewardship of the land.
California Giant has no plans to slow their sustainability plans. The company will continue to increase sustainability certifications to more of their growers over the next few years. “Working with our existing domestic and international growers to achieve sustainability certifications demonstrates California Giant’s commitment to pursuing an equity-based business model which we hope will become the gold standard in the berry industry. California Giant strives to be at the forefront of sustainability, resiliency, and social responsibility,” added Justin Kosta, director of sustainability at California Giant.