FYFFES AND CARE INTERNATIONAL ADVANCE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN COSTA RICA THROUGH TRUDI’S “PARTNERSHIP FOR GOOD”
Marking International Women’s Day and the United Nations International Year of the Woman Farmer, Fyffes announces strong six-month results from Partnership for Good programme, a collaboration between Trudi’s — Fyffes new consumer purpose-driven banana brand — and CARE International UK, with 108 business plans already developed by women in banana-growing communities.
Partnership for Good was designed to strengthen women’s autonomy, productive capacities and resilience in banana-growing communities in Costa Rica, while enhancing household food security and overall community wellbeing.
During its first six months, 228 rural women, organised into nine community groups, enrolled and actively participated in six structured training sessions covering personal empowerment, recognition of rights, prevention of gender-based violence, leadership and assertive communication, business planning and financial management.
By December 2025, 108 business plans had been formally submitted, demonstrating strong engagement and ownership of the programme economic empowerment component.
Proposed enterprises include agricultural production (vegetables, fruit, eggs and livestock), service-based activities (food preparation, beauty services and tailoring), value-added food processing and small-scale retail operations.
With seed capital distribution scheduled for the next phase this year, implementation will focus on enterprise launch, adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and measurable improvements in income generation, empowerment outcomes and household food security.
Evidence-Based Approach to Empowerment
An initial baseline study established reference data to measure progress in women’s leadership, economic autonomy and household food security.
Key baseline findings include:
- Only 1% adopted at least three sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
- 15% reported awareness of at least three of their human rights.
- 77% of households reported some degree of food insecurity.
- 79% of women and youth reported confidence in their negotiation and communication skills.
- 88% reported active participation in household decision-making on agricultural production and income use.
These findings have directly informed programme priorities, including strengthened technical capacity building, entrepreneurship development and the future implementation of household kitchen gardens and climate-smart agriculture practices.
Responsible Sourcing and Shared Value
For Fyffes, Trudi’s and Partnership for Good represents our commitment to responsible strategic sourcing, advancing human rights due diligence with integrity and empowering sourcing communities to build more inclusive and sustainable economic future across our agricultural supply chains.
In a regulatory and market environment where European and North American stakeholders and consumers increasingly demand transparency, traceability and measurable social impact, the programme contributes to advancing gender equity, strengthening climate resilience and fostering long-term community prosperity in sourcing regions.
Fyffes reaffirms its commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment as a cornerstone of sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems.
Ends
About Fyffes
For over 130 years, Fyffes has supplied high-quality tropical produce to consumers around the world. Headquartered in Geneva, we are one of the largest banana and pineapple importers in Europe and the world’s largest importer of Fairtrade-certified bananas. Fyffes is also a supplier in North America, partnering with customers to deliver quality fruit and category expertise.
Deep consumer insight and strong innovation capabilities underpin our approach, enabling us to develop differentiated products, packaging and merchandising solutions that drive growth. Sustainability and responsible sourcing are central to our business, with a transparent and resilient supply chain that supports farming communities and protects the environment.
Fyffes has been part of Sumitomo Corporation since 2017. www.fyffes.com
About Trudi’s
Launched last year with the tagline ‘Good Fruit, Doing Good’, Trudi’s is a Fyffes brand rooted in community-impact which has already been embraced by Coop Norway and James Hall/Spar UK . Trudi’s is working in partnership with Care International to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment and food security in vulnerable communities in Costa Rica.
