Organics Unlimited Remains a Leader in Organic Bananas

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and after two tough years of facing the supply chain crisis and the effects of inflation, the creativity at Organics Unlimited has been sparked.

“Along with major overhauls in our operation and some fresh new perspectives, it all really had us thinking outside of the box,” said Mayra Velazquez de León, President and CEO of the San Diego-based company. “We are diligently working on bringing these exciting new ideas to fruition, and we look [forward] to announcing these developments as the year progresses.”

Daniella and Mayra Velazquez de León, President and CEO of Organics Unlimited

Organics Unlimited was founded in 2000 based on an aspiration to grow the healthiest, best-tasting bananas around, and that desire remains today. Using knowledge gained from three generations of family firmly rooted in growing organic bananas, Velazquez de León built the company from the ground up.

“Our company was growing organic bananas long before it became trendy,” she said. “In fact, we grow organic bananas because this natural farming method produces the tastiest banana and is the safest way to plant, care for, harvest, and consume a banana. Avoiding harsh chemicals allows for farmers, communities surrounding farm fields, and banana consumers to enjoy a safe, natural fruit.”

Organics Unlimited’s pledge to customers is an unparalleled short transit time, guaranteed uninterrupted supply, and a commitment to community.

“In fact, we grow organic bananas because this natural farming method produces the tastiest banana and is the safest way to plant, care for, harvest, and consume a banana. Avoiding harsh chemicals allows for farmers, communities surrounding farm fields, and banana consumers to enjoy a safe, natural fruit.” - Mayra Velazquez de León

“Mexico is as local as it gets for bananas,” Velazquez de León said. “It provides a short transit time of just a few days from harvest compared to more than two weeks from most banana, producing countries. This allows us to respond to our clients’ needs with lightning speed.”

It also means a longer shelf life, better-tasting product due to proximity, better freight rates, and a lower carbon footprint—all important keys to success.

“Most of our supply is grown in Mexico on our own farms and those of our small family-owned farm partners,” Velazquez de León said. “We also source from Ecuador, and this guarantees consistent, uninterrupted supply for our customers year-round. When low season rolls around and distributors and retailers alike are getting prorated due to tight supply, we’re able to quickly pivot and pull from both sources.”

Over the past few years, more and more, consumers are concerned with purchasing ethically sourced products, and that’s where Organics Unlimited shines.

“Most of our supply is grown in Mexico on our own farms and those of our small family-owned farm partners. We also source from Ecuador, and this guarantees consistent, uninterrupted supply for our customers year-round.” - Mayra Velazquez de León

“Our GROW social responsibility program holds appeal as a straightforward, transparent model with proven impact,” Velazquez de León said. “Since the program began in 2005, $0.60 for every box of GROW label bananas purchased has provided over $3 million for our GROW fund to help farming communities that need it most in both Mexico and Ecuador. As America’s largest family-owned organic banana wholesaler, Organics Unlimited is the global leader in organic bananas, and we have the track record to prove it.”

As groundbreakers in the global organic banana industry, the company has been contributing to the growth of the organic fresh produce category for decades.

“In Mexico, we were the first to cultivate the culture of organic production in the growing region of Colima, which is now the foremost supplier of as-local-as-it-gets organic bananas for the American market,” Velazquez de León said.

In 2021 and 2022, the company fought fiercely for breaking beyond the forbidden $1 threshold at retail and has seen promising results.

“Our independent retailers are always the first to rally alongside us, and those who have increased their price per pound to $1.29 have still seen year-over-year volume growth and a 30 percent increase in sales revenue,” Velazquez de León said. “It is only a matter of time before larger retailers will see that it is possible and follow suit, allowing for fairer compensation throughout the supply chain.”

“Since the program began in 2005, $0.60 for every box of GROW label bananas purchased has provided over $3 million for our GROW fund to help farming communities that need it most in both Mexico and Ecuador.” - Mayra Velazquez de León

In 2023, cold weather has impacted growers with outputs down around 30 percent and spot pricing doubling compared to late 2022 prices.

“This is a challenge everyone has faced, but thanks to our diversified sourcing, we are prepared and fulfilling every order,” Velazquez de León said. “Pricing remains a challenge for bananas, including organic bananas. The cost of freight, certain materials, and minimum wage increases continue to impact the total cost of production. As large corporations continue to offer artificially low prices in [the] market and place downward pressure on prices to suppliers, many growers, who are ultimately price takers, have been forced to decrease prices by close to 10 percent this year.”

While Organics Unlimited has absorbed as much of the cost as it can, it’s looking to drive efficiencies and actively advocate for fair pricing in the market—a material challenge for the industry.

“As we face these challenges, I keep present my father’s words in a letter that I received from him upon his passing: ‘A company without clear values cannot develop a presence in [the] market, even when it has the economic resources to grow. A company that provides goods or services with a priority on human, economic, and social values will be the one that best meets its customers’ needs, develops its people, and provides the highest return on investment to its shareholders.’”

As a woman-owned business that has been committed to organic and ethical sourcing since day one, Velazquez de León said the company is in a perfect position to capitalize on current trends and has the track record to prove it.

“We are working closely with our network of small family growers to maintain a reliable, as-local-as-it-gets supply chain with produce arriving at our distribution warehouse within three days from harvest,” she said. “The past year was extremely busy in many ways, but we are thankful for where we are as a company, and Organics Unlimited looks forward to a healthy future.”