GLC Cerritos, the leading grower-shipper of Hass avocados from the Jalisco region of Mexico, has recently expanded its reach to the U.S. market and plans to significantly ramp up shipments there in the coming years.
With over 3,000 acres of orchards and a state-of-the-art packinghouse in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico, the vertically-integrated organization services customers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Panama, South America and the Middle East. Founded in 2001, GLC Cerritos’ mission is to inspire agribusiness with sustainability by producing healthy food for the world. Nowadays, it is differentiating itself in three ways: through its extensive sustainability initiatives, critical mass of premium-quality products, and dependability for its clients.
With a robust sustainability program embedded into its core operations, the company is not just selling avocados—it’s promoting a philosophy. “Our mission is to inspire our fellow farmers through sustainability to grow healthy food for the world,” says Giovanni Cavaletto, president of GLC Cerritos.
The company’s journey toward sustainability began in the early 2000s, in partnership with Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture. This collaboration focused on risk reduction in fresh produce, which prompted GLC Cerritos to refine and document its farming practices more diligently. “This project forced us to answer a lot of questions about our practices, and we realized we needed to do a better job telling our story,” notes Cavaletto.
Over the years, GLC Cerritos has acquired multiple certifications that testify to its commitment to sustainable practices, including GlobalG.A.P. certificates at each farm, Rainforest Alliance, and Fair Trade USA. These certifications not only bolster the company’s environmental credentials but also enhance its appeal to global markets, particularly in Europe and North America. “Only about 0.2% of avocado farms in Mexico are GlobalG.A.P. certified. We approached it as an investment more than a cost,” explains Cavaletto.
Beyond environmental sustainability, the company is deeply committed to the social aspects of its operations. Its efforts have significantly impacted local communities, promoting better labor practices and enhancing local economies. The certifications from Fair Trade USA and the Rainforest Alliance are reflective of the company’s broader goals to support and uplift its workforce and their families.
Building on its commitment to both environmental and social sustainability, GLC Cerritos distinguishes itself further through its considerable scale of operations. With around 3,000 acres of avocado orchards—two-thirds of which are certified for export to the U.S., and many of which are still young orchards—the company vastly surpasses the average avocado farm size in Mexico, where farms typically span about five acres. This extensive scale not only ensures a steady and reliable supply of avocados but also positions GLC as a force in the global market.
The substantial acreage managed by the company also facilitates uniformity in the quality of their produce. In an industry where many exporters must aggregate output from multiple smallholders, GLC’s single-source farms prevent the variability often seen with such blends. This uniformity is crucial for maintaining quality standards and meeting the stringent requirements of international markets, particularly in North America and Europe. Moreover, the size of GLC’s operations enables rapid response to market demands and logistical efficiencies that smaller producers simply cannot match.
Dependability is another cornerstone of GLC Cerritos’ business philosophy, crucial to its success and appeal in the highly competitive agricultural market. The company prides itself on consistent, on-time delivery, which has become a significant differentiator from its competitors. “Mexico is a very large country,” says Cavaletto. “In order to have sufficient avocado supplies on a year-round basis having a shipper located in Jalisco can be part of a strategy to diversify sourcing geographically to mitigate risk in any single growing region.”
This commitment to dependability not only reinforces GLC Cerritos’s reputation among retailers but also endears the brand to consumers looking for consistency in their purchases. “Dependability separates the professional organizations from everyone else,” says Cavaletto, highlighting that this trait has elevated GLC above the industry norms, fostering trust and loyalty among its business partners.
As the company ships an increasingly large volume of avocados to the U.S market, GLC Cerritos is poised to become a key player in setting global standards for sustainability and quality in the agricultural sector.