Chiquita Nabs Logistics Sustainability Award

For its efforts toward sustainability in supply chain logistics, Chiquita Brands International was awarded the 2009 Circle of Excellence award by the Distribution Business Management Association.

Chiquita has worked with MIT to address the carbon footprint of its supply chain. Throughout the course of a study of Chiquita's carbon footprint, it was discovered that:

• Not including emissions associated with harvesting of the fruit would distort the total carbon value of a banana by 25 percent.
• Differences in operational efficiency and congestion of ports in California and Mississippi led to different carbon emissions for different wings of the supply chain.
• Different grocery stores require different banana ripening profiles, meaning that a one-size-fits-all calculation of ripening methods was not useful.
• Depending on the time of the year and the outdoor temperature, different amounts of electricity were required to cool banana distribution trucks, adding another layer of complexity to reporting.

Click here for more details on the MIT/Chiquita project.

The criteria for the award is based on a company's current corporate commitment, past demonstrated programs and plans for continued commitment. See the complete criteria here.

Other recent winners include:

• 2008 - NYK Logistics - for long-term strategies in CSR
• 2007 - Staples, Inc. - for excellence in energy conservation and efficiency.
• 2006 - Circuit City - for excellence and environmental responsibility in the electronic retail industry.
• 2005 - CVS - for excellence and environmental responsibility in the retail pharmaceutical industry.
• 2004 - Dell - for excellence and environmental responsibility in the computer/IT industry.
• 2003 - KRAFT Foods - for excellence in the food industry.
• 2002 - Lockheed Martin - for excellence in the defense industry.
• 2001 - Coors Brewing Company - for environmentally responsible supply chain management in the beverage sector.
• 2000 - Roadway Express, Inc.- for demonstrating an increased awareness of environmental issues and opportunities by incorporating environmental strategies into their supply chain management processes.