Chiquita Brands International Launches the First 'Rainforest Alliance-certified' Fruit in Europe

CINCINNATI, October 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- Certification Assures Consumers that Chiquita Bananas Are Grown Using Sustainable Production Techniques

Since her first appearance in 1944, Miss Chiquita has become one of the best known brand icons in the fruit industry. However, Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) will now be filling supermarket shelves in nine European markets with bananas also labeled as Rainforest Alliance-certified. This new label, which brings together the Miss Chiquita icon and the Rainforest Alliance's frog logo, reflects Chiquita's ongoing commitment to the Rainforest Alliance's stringent social and environmental standards.

"As bananas are the No. 1-selling product in most grocery stores, to have a company like Chiquita adopt responsible cultivation practices has far-reaching benefits for the environment, farm workers and the consumer," said Chris Wille, director of sustainable agriculture programs at the Rainforest Alliance. "The Rainforest Alliance-certified seal will help consumers recognize Chiquita's commitment and investment, and therefore allow them to make an informed decision about what they buy."

Chiquita has been incorporating Rainforest Alliance criteria into its farming practices since 1992, and the company is now able to source enough bananas from certified farms to guarantee their availability in supermarkets across Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

"Consumers today are faced with many choices when they shop at the supermarket, and this new label lets people know that a Chiquita banana is not just a healthy, high-quality fruit, but also that it was grown using sustainable production techniques by people who enjoy among the best working conditions in the industry," said Michel Loeb, president of Chiquita Fresh Group - Europe. "When you buy a banana with the Rainforest Alliance-Chiquita seal, we believe you are buying a better banana."

To achieve Rainforest Alliance certification, every Chiquita farm has to implement more than 200 criteria, covering protection of the environment and biodiversity as well as fair treatment of workers and good workplace conditions. The Rainforest Alliance partners with local environmental organizations to review compliance with these criteria on each farm every year.

According to Raul Gomez, manager of a Chiquita farm in Costa Rica, the changes have been beneficial and far-reaching. "Since Chiquita has applied the Rainforest Alliance standards, we have seen so many positive changes. We've stopped using pesticides whenever possible. We have planted hundred of trees. We are trained in environmental management and protection, and then put this education into practice so that our children can also benefit."

Chiquita not only meets the Rainforest Alliance standards, but also focuses further on worker rights through its certification to Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000), a comprehensive and verifiable standard based on International Labor Organization and other human rights conventions, as well as its groundbreaking labor rights framework agreement with regional and international unions. This framework agreement, which is unique in the banana industry, was signed by the IUF (International Union of Food Workers), COLSIBA (Coalition of Unions of Latin American Banana Workers) and Chiquita on June 14, 2001, in the offices of the International Labor Organization in Geneva.

The Rainforest Alliance (www.ra.org) is an international, environmental organization whose mission is to protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them by transforming land-use and business practices as well as consumer behavior. With 25,000 members and projects in nearly 60 countries, the Rainforest Alliance is recognized as a world leader in the successful design and implementation of conservation measures.

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (www.chiquita.com) is a leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added produce, which is sold under the Chiquita(R) premium brand and related trademarks. The company is one of the largest banana producers in the world and a major supplier of bananas in Europe and North America. In June 2005, Chiquita acquired Fresh Express(R), the U.S. market leader in value-added salads, a fast-growing food category for grocery retailers, foodservice providers and quick-service restaurants.

Web site: http://www.chiquita.com http://www.ra.org