Giumarra Grower Partner Introduces Sanitation Tunnels for Worker Safety

The Giumarra Companies, marketing partner of Sonora, Mexico-based Videxport S.A. de C.V., announces the company’s new sanitation tunnels to support worker safety and ensure continued production and quality during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

Videxport is a Fair Trade Certified and Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) certified grower shipping fresh watermelon, grapes and bell peppers to the US and Canada. The company recently installed four tunnels at its packing operation and implemented new enhancements to its existing worker safety procedures.

“Videxport’s commitment to its workers’ safety and wellbeing, evidenced by the company’s long-standing social responsibility programs and corresponding certifications, is strongly reinforced by this forward-thinking measure,” said John Corsaro, CEO of the Giumarra Companies. “We are proud to work with a grower so deeply invested in caring for its employees and producing high quality, nutritious products. Partners like Videxport are vital in supporting our mission to feed the world in a healthy way.”

The 10-foot-long tunnels mist a disinfectant solution as employees walk through them, safely sanitizing workers and protecting against viruses and bacteria. Each of the four tunnels can accommodate about 20 people per minute.

In addition to the tunnels, Videxport recently expanded its medical capabilities by hiring a second full-time doctor, hiring additional nurses and purchasing two new mobile clinics for on-site worker healthcare to supplement its on-farm healthcare clinic. Additionally, social distancing, staff education and worker health monitoring measures have been employed in fields and packhouses, as well as in worker housing.