In 2024, Fresh Del Monte, a signatory of both the U.S. Food Waste Pact and the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment (PCFWC), rolled out a food waste employee engagement program at a North Portland plant in Oregon. Their goal was to identify and implement food waste reduction strategies that could be replicated across global operations.
After receiving training about food loss and waste, employees submitted almost 200 food waste reduction ideas during an employee competition. The idea that was implemented was centered around a new process for receiving fresh produce along with a change in the location where produce is inspected. This solution successfully recovered 53.2% of fruit that otherwise would have been wasted.
Following the success of this pilot and others like it from Bob’s Red Mill and Land O’Lakes, the U.S. Food Waste Pact, co-led by ReFED and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), launched the Employee Engagement Toolkit, a resource for all food businesses to use to successfully implement their own food waste reduction program that engages employees.
We sat down with Ana Cueva, Sustainability Global Program Manager at Fresh Del Monte, to talk about how the project came to be, how it has impacted Fresh Del Monte, and advice for other businesses.
How did you decide that Fresh Del Monte was ready to try something like this?
We began this conversation with the PCFWC and WWF through our participation in their Working Groups. During one session, we came across an inspiring case study from Bob's Red Mill highlighting employees' commitment to reducing food waste. This motivated us to implement a similar initiative at one of our North American facilities in Portland, OR.
Were there any lasting or unexpected positive effects that came out of that work?
Yes, the biggest advantage is that team members are deeply involved in daily operations and have an intimate understanding of their work areas. Their insights are invaluable when it comes to spotting opportunities to reduce food waste and enhance overall performance. This initiative was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, as it gave team members a chance to see how much we value their ideas and contributions. It truly reinforced that those closest to the work are often best positioned to drive meaningful change.
Can you talk a little bit about the business case of running a pilot like this? Were there any financial benefits?
Our “Quick Win” initiative was smoothly integrated into daily operations at the Portland facility, delivering immediate impact by boosting production and cutting waste. A waste audit revealed that the recovered, usable fruit could have produced nearly 4,620 additional finished product packs—including blends and individual fruit items—over just five weeks. This simple process change unlocked a significant revenue opportunity with minimal disruption. We are currently working with the quality and food safety team to replicate this idea in the rest of our facilities in the United States.
What advice would you have for a business that wants to try this with their staff?
My advice would be to be receptive and open to the suggestions and ideas that employees propose. As I said before, they are there every day and know the process very well, and there may be many good initiatives that come out of their experience.
Can you talk a little bit about the value of being part of the PCFWC/U.S. Food Waste Pact?
Being part of the U.S. Food Waste Pact and the PCFWC has been really valuable—it connects us with other committed companies, gives us access to practical tools and insights, and keeps us focused and accountable as we work to reduce food waste together.