Sol Organica named as the 2021 Exporter of the Year and winner of the Good Practices in Entrepreneurial Sustainability Award at the annual awards ceremony presented by APEN, the Association of Producers and Exporters Nicaragua.
Tiempos de Negocios: Sol Organica, the only certified B Corp in Nicaragua
November 2, 2022- Sol Organica was featured in Tiempos de Negocios magazine as the only company certified as a B Corp in Nicaragua, meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
Fresh Plaza: “Make a virtual farm visit to see Nicaraguan red pitaya”
September 30, 2021 - “Native to Central America, pitaya was introduced to Asia over a century ago, where it was rebranded as ‘dragon fruit’. Nowadays, this is what European consumers are more familiar with. But Burke Agro is keen for the market to re-discover Nicaraguan varieties, says Will Burke, CEO of Burke Agro.”
Fresh Plaza: “More colour and a brighter future for Nicaraguan red pitaya farmers"
January 14, 2021 -- "The European market is an exciting new challenge for us," says Founder and CEO Will Burke. "Getting the consumer to understand the added value of our fruit compared to Asian varieties takes time. We hope to start by shipping small volumes of 3-4 pallets a week by air freight. In 3-5 years’ time, we would like to partner with supermarkets and retail chains that value our quality and environmental and social impact."
The New York Times: “More Shelf-Stable Foods From Patagonia"
April 20, 2020 -- "For several years, Patagonia, the outdoor gear company, has been selling a line of packaged shelf-stable, backpack-friendly foods like hot-smoked fish, dried fruit, snacks and soup mixes. Now they have expanded it to include pasta and sauces, nuts, grains and even baby food, not all of it packaged to carry on the trail.."
New Hope Media: "Sol Simple regenerates Nicaragua’s potential fruit by fruit"
March 10, 2020 -- “Sol Simple is a Certified B Corporation and one of the first companies to earn Regenerative Organic Certification. Its products—sold at retail primarily in Southern California and the Northeast, as well as online through Amazon—are Non-GMO Project Verified and Fair Trade Certified. What’s more, Sol Simple has formed partnerships with like-minded brands such as Patagonia Provisions, Pitaya Plus, HiPP Organic and Innocent Drinks to advance its mission..”
Fresh Plaza: "We Expect Our Pitahaya Volumes to Increase by 40 Percent Next Year"
December 20,2019 -- “The pitahaya is doing well in Nicaragua, thanks to hard work and collaboration with a team of agronomists. According to one exporter, the yields have increased by more than 30 per cent and it is expected that volumes will increase by 40 per cent next year.”
Fresh Plaza: “Pitayas are actually native to Central America, not Asia”
September 20, 2019 – “The pitaya is a very popular fruit in Asia, but is up and coming in other markets as well. “It’s a misconception that pitayas are originally from the Asian regions. Pitayas are actually native to Central America. The magenta pulp is of the brightest color in Nicaragua. In Asia the fruit has been subject to a lot of crossbreeding, where the pitayas from our region still contain the original pigmentation,” Burke explains.”
MCE Social Capital Feature: The Promise of Pitahaya
August 23, 2019 – “In September 2018, MCE Social Capital made a $200,000 investment in Sol Organica, followed by a second $200,000 investment in February 2019 to increase the company’s production capacity, support the continued growth of the business, and reach more smallholder farmers in Nicaragua. “
CBI: Central America Spotlight
August 6, 2018 – Sol Organica partnered with CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries) for its "Connecting Central America Programme". The goal of the program is to strengthen Central American businesses' abilities to market goods and services in Europe. CBI works with dozens of small and medium-sized enterprises in Central America and, in 2018, Sol Organica was selected as CBI's spotlight company.
B Corp: Best For The World 2018
June 13, 2018 – Sol Organica's dried fruit brand, Sol Simple, has been recognized by B Corp as a "Best For The World" company. Out of 145 Latin American companies evaluated on environmental impact, ethical business practices, and community development and collaboration, Sol Simple was placed in the top 5.
Natural Products Expo West 2018
March 9, 2018 – Founder and CEO of Sol Organica, Will Burke, was invited to speak about working with smallholder farmers and implementing regenerative organic farming methods in Nicaragua at Natural Products Expo West 2018.
Watch Will's speech (min 58) and hear inspiring stories from a growing community of regenerative agriculturalists, conscious business leaders, disruptive entrepreneurs and dreamers.
Fruit Juice Focus: Bridging The Gap
November 20, 2017 – Sol Organica was featured in Fruit Juice Focus magazine. Read the interview with Will Burke (founder and CEO of Sol Organica) and learn about what inspired him to start a socially responsible fruit company in Nicaragua.
"One man’s vision to connect smallholder fruit farmers in Nicaragua with conscientious consumers in export markets worldwide, through organic and sustainably produced dried fruits, purees and fruit juices."
Pioneering Regenerative Organic Agriculture
August 25, 2017 – In 2017, Sol Organica was invited to participate in the first-ever Regenerative Organic Certification pilot program. The pilot program, which commenced in the summer of 2018, focuses on rebuilding organic matter in soils, restoring biodiversity and carbon drawdown, increasing water infiltration rates, and increasing farm productivity while continuing to foster the growth and well-being of our Nicaraguan farming communities.
