Sign Up For OPN Connect
By Keith Loria
With a mission to provide the best quality organic bananas and tropical fruits in a socially responsible way, San Diego, CA-based Organics Unlimited was started by Mayra Velazquez de León, who built the company from the ground up.
Mayra Velazquez de Leon, founder, Organics Unlimited
“Organics Unlimited was founded in 2000, based on a desire to grow the healthiest, best-tasting bananas around, using knowledge gained from four generations of family firmly rooted in growing organic bananas,” says Velazquez de León. “We were growingorganic bananas long before it became trendy. In fact, the company grows organic bananas because this natural farming method produces the tastiest banana and is the safest way to plant, care for, harvest and consume a banana.
The Organics Unlimited family was an early pioneer in the organic industry and strives to ensure it communicates to consumers that they are buying the freshest, healthiest bananas by being USDA certified organic as well as JAS, Primus and Global GAP certified.
“Through the years, it has also become clear just how important sustainable, socially-responsible practices are to consumers,” Velazquez de León says. “Being directly in line with the company’s commitment to the community, Organics Unlimited has doubled down efforts to expand its GROW program, which provides resources and opportunities to the growing communities.”
The GROW label accounts for nearly 90 percent of more than 30,000 cases of bananas that the warehouse handles each week. The company feels so strongly about the social responsibility program that it has donated more than $2 million to support entire communities in banana growing areas to provide a better way of life. This includes valuable community programs such as health clinics, educational scholarships, clean water, dental and vision care, environmental aid and more.
Organics Unlimited also grows organic coconuts and plantains in addition to its organic bananas.
“Our industry relies on us to help lead on issues that affect both the B2B and B2C markets,” Velazquez de León says. “Sustainability is vital for our world to not just survive but thrive now and long into the future. Organics Unlimited understands this and lives up to its sustainability promise every day.”
The biggest challenge the company deals with is staying ahead of demand as organic continues to go mainstream. Therefore, Organics Unlimited has been very proactive in terms of planning ahead for the future by increasing production of its organic bananas.
Organics Unlimited at Organic Produce Summit 2018
“This ambitious outlook requires us to forecast industry trends while using our intuition to remain a global industry leader,” Velazquez de León says. “Amidst this growth, as pioneers in the organic banana market, we want to capitalize on this opportunity to tell our story and share the true cost of food, educating consumers about what takes place prior to eating a banana.”
Price is also a challenge.
“The banana industry has endured a chokehold on price as a result of more than a century of politics and corporate pressure,” Velazquez de León says. “Customers have proven they are willing to pay more for organic produce. However, it is important to educate consumers, especially when it comes to price-sensitive staples like bananas, on the true, fair cost of the fruit that is produced and the impact their purchases have when they choose to support small growers and values-based, sustainable options.”
Filling orders for clients such as small retailers to wholesale distributors requires extensive planning and precise execution, which is why the company will continue to look for ways to expand its presence in the organic produce industry and improve its internal processes to provide the best and most reliable organic products available.
Educating consumers on what organic means and why it is better for overall health and the environment remains a priority in 2019,” Velazquez de Leon says.
In the years’ ahead, Organics Unlimited is committed to growing its presence in the U.S. and Canada, and eager to move forward on that front in 2019.
“We hope to continue to share our differentiators in market, which appeal to consumers who are environmentally-conscious,” Velazquez de Leon says. “Our minimal packaging and closer point of origin is attractive to consumers who would like to reduce their carbon footprint.”
