Supermarket giant Coles announced today that it will provide up to $500,000 in grants to eight small and medium-sized businesses throughout the country to help them implement plans to drive sustainability and innovation.
The funding will come from the Coles Nurture Fund, which paved the way to grants more than $33 million to support more than 100 businesses since the funding effort began in 2015.
Coles Group Executive General Manager Fresh Andy Mossop stated that the most recent round of grantees was picked for their originality and capacity to accomplish high-impact sustainability targets such as lowering emissions, improving animal welfare, and reducing waste.
“We are proud to be able to award more than $3.6 million to eight Aussie small and medium-sized businesses as part of the latest round of the Coles Nurture Fund,” said Mossop.
Gavin Devaney, owner of Queensland’s Bartle Frere Bananas, praised Coles for a $445,000 grant that will be used to invest in new technologies such as the ability to compute real-time glasshouse gas emissions on the family-owned and operated farm.
“This investment from Coles will help us invest in new technology that we will use to develop a carbon neutral banana range and deliver significant advances in reducing nutrient runoff into the Great Barrier Reef,” said Devaney.
Moreover, with the $330,000 award, the indigenous-owned family firm Walaja Raw Bush Honey will develop a brand-new, premium Melaleuca honey that is medical grade and sustainably produced in Yawuru Country in Western Australia’s West Kimberley.
“This grant will make a huge difference to our company and hopefully the health and wellbeing for the many Australians who can purchase this unique Kimberley honey. We’re confident this investment will help enhance Indigenous knowledge and create local employment opportunities,” said founder David Appleby.
Esperance Bay Orchards in Tasmania will receive $440,000 to invest in Near Infrared technology, which prevents food waste by lowering rejects and identifying the internal quality of organic fruit.
“Thanks to this generous grant from the Coles Nurture Fund we will become the world’s first organic apple pack house to use self-learning AI technology to reduce food waste, improve efficiency and ensure the fruit that makes it to the shelves is of the highest quality,” said owner Malcolm Francis who has been a supplier to Coles for more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, Curtis Stone, a member of the Coles Nurture Fund judging panel, congratulated the eight beneficiaries and said they had all demonstrated an admirable commitment to preserving the environment and enacting change.
“It is encouraging to see our local Aussie farmers and producers setting benchmarks and leading innovation across many important areas of the industry. With the environment and animal welfare at the heart of what we do at Coles, I’m encouraged to learn more about how our locals are making a difference,” said Curtis.
