BELLEVUE, Wash. — As Certified Greenhouse Farmers expands its network of controlled environment growers of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other greenhouse vegetables, the trade association is partnering with Grupo PM, which will serve as the organization’s marketing arm to Mexican growers.
Grupo PM is a Mexico-based marketing agency specializing in agricultural products, and will help expand Certified Greenhouse Farmers’ presence in Mexico in numerous ways: identifying growers who abide by the same high standards of food safety, social responsibility and environmental performance as the association; promoting the association and its value to controlled environment growers; explaining and helping facilitate the association’s auditing process to Mexican growers; and communicating directly with Certified Greenhouse Farmers members in Mexico.
“Certified Greenhouse Farmers has a strong commitment to protecting the integrity of the greenhouse growing process,” said Monica Moreno, Grupo PM’s new projects impulse manager. “Through our almost 23-year history in Mexico, we have established excellent relationships with controlled environment growers who share in this commitment and see value in the Certified Greenhouse seal.”
Certified Greenhouse Farmers President Ed Beckman said all members must meet the trade association’s strict definition for controlled environment greenhouse growing, and undergo a rigorous, independent third-party audit against the association’s certification standard. Among the items audited are structural and environmental controls, water resource management, Integrated Pest Management procedures, plant nutrition management, ecosystem management and integrated waste management.
“Our members represent the ‘best of the best’ in quality, food safety and environmental performance for controlled environment greenhouse growers,” said Beckman. “Through our partnership with Grupo PM, we are able to have an in-country representative of the association, serving both as a liaison to our Mexican growers and also as a marketing arm to other growers who share our goal of producing the highest quality controlled environment greenhouseproducts on the market.”
Grupo PM is a marketing agency specializing in generic agricultural marketing; its main goal is to identify business opportunities for agricultural products and create communication strategies that will build success stories, and forge the future of farmers, processors, manufacturers, packers, and other organizations, from the very origin of their products to their final destination.
Certified Greenhouse Farmers' mission is to protect the greenhouse growing process. Comprised of growers from throughout North American, the organization is the voice of certified greenhouse growers, and educates trade and consumer audiences about the value of Certified Greenhouse products, which are grown in a controlled environment. Through its rigorous audits and controls, Certified Greenhouse Farmers produces the "best of the best" in consistent product quality, food safety and environmental performance. For more information, visit CertifiedGreenhouse.org
Source: Certified Greenhouse Farmers