Riverside, C.A.— Founded in 1914, Index Fresh has since grown into a leading worldwide avocado marketer building long-term relationships with growers and family farms in California, Mexico, Peru, and Chile. Index Fresh will also extend its sourcing to Columbia soon.
In the early 1990s, with a growth in demand and a freeze in California, the company began outreach in Latin America and started sourcing avocados from Chile and Mexico. In 2007-08, Index Fresh initiated its Peru program. “Sourcing in several countries allows us to have high quality avocados on a year-round basis, both conventional and organic,” said Giovanni Cavaletto, VP of Sourcing at Index Fresh. “The diversification of having several countries has allowed us to continue to grow despite any production setbacks in any given country.”
Sourcing from countries outside of the United States also brings in fruit that’s a little different in nature (even within the Hass category), influenced by their growing environments
from subtropical highlands in Mexico, natural river valleys along the coast of Peru, to a Mediterranean climate north and south of Chilean capital, Santiago.
In all these regions inside and outside of the U.S., Index Fresh maintains a high level of integrity, transparency, and authenticity in how it does business. “So much of what we do boils down to relationships. A part of our mission is to maximize returns for growers,” said Cavaletto.
“I think that knowing the culture at Index Fresh is set by a board of directors made up entirely of growers resonates with all of the grower organizations we partner with,” he said. For farmers, it’s important that the people handling their fruit are allies, and that it’s not just a buy-sell relationship.
Within the expanse of avocado farms in Mexico, Peru, and Chile, Index Fresh has worked with some growers over a period of 25 years, and still going strong. These partnerships, national and international, are maintained with a consistent goal to be a responsible avocado marketer year in and year out and to add value to the distribution chain. “Our entire procurement team spends a lot of time in countries getting to know the growers, getting to know the strengths of each production region, and that comes through with our customers,” added Cavaletto.
For more information on sourcing at Index Fresh, visit www.indexfresh.com/avocados/regions.
ABOUT INDEX FRESH
Index Fresh is a worldwide marketer of avocados, sourcing from all major growing regions around the globe, including California, Mexico, Peru, and Chile. Through its dedication to quality, consistency, and innovation, Index Fresh continues to be a leader in the industry. Over the years the company has earned its reputation for quality and integrity with an unwavering commitment to honesty, hard work, and providing outstanding results to their partners — growers and trade alike. Headquartered in California, the company has facilities spread across Texas, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, and Illinois. Early this year, Index Fresh also started operations at its new packing, bagging, and ripening facility in Pharr, TX.
Source: Index Fresh