WHY WE GROW
Purpose
Utilizing innovations in greenhouse technology to provide secure and dignified jobs that keep families intact and grow opportunities for the next generation, one sustainably produced tomato at a time.
Mission
To build a sustainable organization that grows, packages, and distributes produce in a high technology environment, meeting world-class standards for quality, food safety, hygiene, and working environment.
Our investments in greenhouse technology allow us to generate up to 14x more yield per acre, using less than 20% of the water of field-grown tomatoes.
We grow year-round, creating secure and dignified jobs for 190 employees, all of whom receive 40+ hours of initial training, regular evaluation and opportunities for additional training and skill development.
Dignified jobs help keep families whole by ending the cycle of economic migration. Our added donations of school supplies to our employees’ children ensure we are growing greater opportunities for the next generation.
SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
The United Nations defines decent work as opportunities for everyone to get employment or training that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration.
Our commitment to providing decent work for our employees means that they are paid a fair wage, their jobs are guaranteed all year—not just seasonally—and they are given opportunities to learn new skills in their own communities. We trust that this kind of employment leads to stronger local economic development and more dignified lives for our employees.
SDG 4: Quality Education
According to a 2018 study on Mexico’s progress towards achieving the SDGs, 15% of children and adolescents do not attend school. There are many barriers to receiving a quality education in Mexico, including access to internet (available to less than 25% of school-aged children), availability of trained educators and safe transportation. Yet we know that education is the foundation for greater opportunities and higher quality of life.
At Vista Produce, we invest in quality education by investing in our employees and their families. Not only does stable work lead to more stable homes, thus increasing the likelihood that children will complete their schooling, but each year we provide school supplies for all of our employees’ children to ensure they are set up to succeed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we supplied families with their children’s educational materials to ensure they had continued access to learning.
SDG 15: Life on Land
According to the United Nations, 10 million hectares of forest—a critical carbon sink—is destroyed each year, driven mainly by agricultural expansion. This intensifies climate change and biodiversity life, vastly impacting life on land.
As a hydroponic greenhouse operation, our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint is built into our company’s DNA. From reducing the amount of land needed to produce tomatoes at scale to using astronomically less water, we know our tomatoes are better. But when it comes to environmental sustainability, we won’t be satisfied until we can demonstrate how our business is working to reverse the trends that threaten life on land for us all.