The Wonderful Company – owners of popular travel retail brands Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds and FIJI Water – has released a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, highlighting its philanthropic work and sustainability credentials.
The 106-page report details the US company’s mission “to leave people and the planet better than we found them – starting in our own backyard”.
The company’s founders Stewart and Lynda Resnick said: “For 50 years, we have worked hard to build a successful company. From California’s Central Valley to the islands of Fiji, our philanthropy is centred around the people and communities where we live and work, improving education, health care, economic mobility, and environmental sustainability.
“Giving back is as intrinsic to our personal and corporate DNA as being successful entrepreneurs. Our overriding concern is the health of our society and our world. That’s why we are constantly researching and developing programmes that reduce waste, from our packaging to the plastic in our bottles.”
The Wonderful Company is one of America’s biggest agriculture operations, and the world’s largest farmer of tree crops. Its pomegranate, almond, pistachio, mandarin and other citrus orchards cover 200sq miles of California’s Central Valley, a region that is home to 4,000 of the company’s employees and their families.
The Resnicks described Wonderful as being at the forefront of alternative energy. Its orchards have state-of-the-art practices that reduce the use of pesticides and conserve water. Through a US$750 million pledge to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Wonderful is expanding its sustainability endeavours to “solve the most pressing problem of our age: climate change”.
Wonderful’s place-based CSR work started over ten years ago and now encompasses extensive education and health initiatives that impact the day-to-day life its employees, their families and local communities.
“We want to build a world worth sustaining. It is our goal to reverse the cycle of poverty and neglect. It’s working. But it is hard. It takes dedication, time, and fortitude, not only among the populations we serve, but by our dedicated staff. They are the heart in Wonderful,” the Resnicks added.
Over the past ten years, Wonderful has invested US$25 million in infrastructure, housing and community improvements. These include an education programme that ranges pre-school to college and careers. The Student Wellness Centre provide students and staff with free health services, while the Wonderful Health & Wellness programme aims to integrate a culture of wellness into the workplace.
Wonderful Giving offers every employee the opportunity to “feel the joy of giving” through donations to local causes and charities, with a Matching Gifts Programme offering dollar-for-dollar matching funds.
Since 2006, the company has donated US$45 million on behalf of its employees to 7,800 non-profit organisations. Project Wonderful encourages volunteering at various levels, with over 7,500 employees offering 25,000 hours to complete hundreds of projects across the USA.
The report details projects with Fiji Water, which is recognised as the South Pacific country’s leading export. Similar education and health initiatives are offered to local employees and Wonderful has invested US$2.2 million in energy efficiency projects.
The company aims to reduce its carbon footprint in Fiji through innovative microturbine energy generation and to increase its usage of recycled and recyclable materials. Its goal is to transition to 100% recycled PET bottles by 2025. Wonderful also supports conservation and reforestation projects.
Wonderful Pistachios and Almonds’ packaging has also been refreshed to improve packaging/use ratio and minimise ink use.
The full The Wonderful Company CSR report can be accessed here. 
