BUFFALO, NY and MONTEREY, CA (December 4, 2012)—Delaware North Companies has signed an agreement to become the first major hospitality and foodservice company to join Greener Fields Together, the sustainability program recently launched by national produce distributor PRO*ACT.
The food industry’s first national farm-to-fork sustainability program, Greener Fields Together is dedicated to continuous sustainability improvements at each touch point in the produce supply chain. This will ensure that Delaware North Companies and other hospitality operators have greater access to sustainably grown, safe produce at both the local and national levels.
PRO*ACT has served as Delaware North Companies’ primary produce supplier since 2009, supplying more than 425,000 cases of fresh produce annually to most of the company’s US operating locations, including sports stadiums, entertainment complexes, airports, national and state parks, casinos, and resorts.
Greener Fields Together encourages farmers to explore and develop “green” activities in energy use, water and waste management, pesticide/herbicide use, and transportation. Farmers large and small partnering with PRO*ACT in the initiative are expected to make continuous, documented improvements in sustainability. PRO*ACT distributors have also pledged to make Greener Fields Together a strategic priority and are implementing various improvements to their environmental impact while also building long-term partnerships with local farms, including financially supporting local farmers’ food safety education and certification efforts.
Working with PRO*ACT has enabled Delaware North to streamline its large-scale produce supply chain, purchasing through PRO*ACT rather than directly from the farms. The new Greener Fields Together program will further enhance the company’s ability to source products from local farms with a verified food safety record. Delaware North will begin displaying the Greener Fields Together emblem in its US operations as a commitment to customers that they are being served fresh, safe, sustainably sourced produce.
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