"Our mission has always been to elevate the lives of the people who grow our food"

NatureSweet has announced significant progress and expansion within its long-standing adult education initiative for its agricultural workforce. Nearly twenty years after the program began in Zapotlán, Mexico in 2005, the company has reached record graduation numbers, launched new university cohorts, and continued to show how education can transform the lives of its workforce.

What began with just 26 graduates in 2005 has grown into one of the most influential education efforts in the agricultural industry. As of December 2025, NatureSweet has celebrated 431 associates graduating in 2025 alone, marking the highest number in the program's history. In total, 2,846 associates have graduated across all levels of education since the program began. That includes 539 associates completing literacy training, 471 finishing elementary school, 1,072 completing middle school, and 759 earning a high school diploma. Among the high school graduates was the oldest graduate to date at 59 years old. The company has also celebrated five university graduates, with enrollment continuing to grow.

Currently, 179 associates are actively pursuing diplomas, including 20 in high school and 159 at the university level. The youngest student is 22 and the oldest is 55, a range that shows how accessible the program is and how meaningful these opportunities can be at any stage of life.

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Bachelor's Program expansion
In 2023, NatureSweet introduced the "Unleashing Your Power" bachelor's program to give associates the chance to pursue a university degree, an opportunity rarely seen in the agricultural sector. With added support from Fair-Trade Committees, which voted to direct resources toward education, the company created three new university groups in 2025 at its Colima, San Isidro, and Zapotlán locations.

These new cohorts opened the door for 102 more associates to begin working toward a degree. Today, 129 associates are pursuing a bachelor's in agricultural engineering and 30 are pursuing a bachelor's in industrial engineering.

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"Our mission has always been to elevate the lives of the people who grow our food," said Rodolfo Spielmann, President and CEO of NatureSweet. He noted that when agricultural workers gain access to education, they gain the power to shape their families' futures, to lead, and to imagine possibilities beyond their current circumstances. He added that these milestones show what can happen when a company invests in its people with trust, respect, and long-term commitment, and he expressed pride in every associate who has stepped forward to continue their education.