Zespri Kiwifruit

The company that’s growing delicious kiwifruit to make a greater difference

The Belief

Zespri aims to help people, communities, and the environment thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit. Committed to succeeding the right way, the 100 percent grower-owned organisation treads lightly on the land, supports local growers, and nourishes people with their fantastic kiwifruit all around the world.

The Kiwifruit

Zespri Kiwifruit is one of the world’s largest marketers of kiwifruit and is dedicated to bringing fresh, high-quality kiwifruit to consumers worldwide. They work with around 2,800 New Zealand growers and 1,500 international growers, along with post-harvest companies, to supply their wholesale and retail customers with premium kiwifruit.

They have options for every kiwifruit lover, whether that be the classic Zespri Green, more recent SunGold Kiwifruit or the most recent Zespri Red Kiwifruit. And the company is continuing to explore new varieties as part of the newly created Kiwifruit Breeding Centre - 50/50 joint venture with Plant & Food Research.

A significant driver of Zespri's success is their focus on keeping growers and communities at the heart of their business model and always seeking to get closer to their consumers. Zespri regularly engages with consumers across the globe to understand their needs and then feeds this back to their growers - because no one knows kiwifruit like those who cultivate it.

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The Journey

Zespri’s origins lie in the 1980's when the Kiwifruit industry was undergoing rapid expansion. At the time, kiwifruit supply had exceeded demand, and prices plummeted to an all-time low which drastically affected local growers.

In the face of this adversity, kiwifruit growers across New Zealand decided to take matters into their own hands. Subsequently, in 1997, Zespri was born. Their mission? To create sustainable, long-term value for kiwifruit growers and provide global consumers with access to the most delicious kiwifruit all year round.

The Brand Today

Today, Zespri is New Zealand’s biggest horticulture exporter; they distribute to 50 countries - and in 2020/21 provided more than $2.25 billion in direct returns to growers spread through many regional communities including the Bay of Plenty, Northland, Nelson, Gisborne, and the Waikato, providing support to people, communities and businesses across the country.

With sustainability at the heart of their purpose, Zespri has announced a suite of ambitious sustainability targets, including making 100 percent of their packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

The company's success proves that their forward-thinking mindset has been well received. The world is changing, and Zespri is passionate about doing their part. This is one of the many reasons why Fresha Export is proud to distribute their juicy kiwifruit across the Pacific.