Coles has awarded $500,000 in grants to nine small and medium businesses to implement plans to drive sustainability and innovation.
Awarded through the Coles Nurture Fund, the grants bring the total amount awarded through the fund to more than $36 million across 108 business since the funding was established in 2015.
Anna Croft, Chief Commercial Officer at Coles Group, said the round 12 recipients were chosen for their industry-leading and high-impact projects, that will achieve impressive sustainability goals to reduce waste, enhance animal welfare, and reduce their carbon footprint.
“We are proud to be able to award more than $3.7 million to nine Aussie small and medium sized businesses — located across Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia — as part of the latest round of the Coles Nurture Fund.”
Prada Farms, an avocado farm in Manjimup, has been awarded $461,000 to transition to a fully electric harvesting system that is charged by renewable energy.
Rod Duncan, co-owner of Prada Farms, said this grant means a lot to the farm and his family.
“Our vision is to have a net zero emissions harvesting process, and the Coles Nurture Fund grant will help us move towards that vision. Prada Farms is incredibly proud to be installing an off-grid solar system to charge electric farming vehicles, electric cherry pickers, and a lithium battery powered forklift, to help harvest our beautiful avocados. It has been a family commitment, with three generations involved – my 90-year-old Mum, and my daughter.”
Other fund recipients include Bella Mushrooms in Victoria, White Cloud Farms in Victoria, Emu Hill Pastoral in Western Australia, Hillcroft Farms in Western Australia, Rocky Ridge Brewing Co in Western Australia, Queensland Bottlers in Queensland, and Burbury Ag in Tasmania.
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