At RIOblanco, reaffirming their ongoing commitment to the communities surrounding their production areas is a core priority. As part of their social responsibility and community integration initiatives, the company’s team visited Escuela Cerro Tamaya, located in El Talhuén (Ovalle, Coquimbo Region), to lead a special “Healthy Recess” event alongside students, teachers, and school leadership.
During the event, 104 children and young students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade received bags of fresh fruit containing mandarins harvested at La Calichera farm—located just 5 kilometers from the school—and kiwis from the Maule Region (7th Region).
Reflecting on the purpose of this activity, Juan Zepeda, Manager of La Calichera Farm, highlighted the importance of maintaining this close connection with the local environment:
“We are here at Escuela Cerro Tamaya in El Talhuén, which is a neighboring school to our agricultural field. As part of our community integration activities, we came here to share time with the students and staff through a fruit distribution activity, spending quality time together and getting to know each other a little better.”
An “Outdoor Lesson” and Quality Inspectors for a Day
The day focused not only on fruit distribution but also on learning and promoting healthy lifestyle habits. Members of the RIOblanco team delivered educational talks on different fruit varieties, quality assurance processes, field operations, and export destinations.
Rosa Tapia Godoy, Principal of Escuela Cerro Tamaya, praised the interactive methodology of the activity:
“The professionals taught the children what fruit they were giving them, where it was exported, and its key characteristics. In other words, it was an outdoor lesson, and we are very grateful for it.”
One of the most dynamic moments occurred when 40 students stepped into the role of “fruit quality inspectors.”Equipped with evaluation sheets, the students analyzed the flavor, texture, and juiciness of the fruit received. The kiwis stood out for their juiciness and texture, while the mandarins impressed them for being easy to peel and seedless. In the final vote for favorite fruit, both varieties tied with 24 votes each.
Ongoing Support for the Educational Community
In addition to the educational and nutritional focus, RIOblanco provided a donation of cleaning supplies to support school maintenance following the severe winter storms that affected the area.
Jaime Prieto, Commercial Sub-Manager at RIOblanco, expressed the team’s enthusiasm for participating in these community gatherings:
“It has been a wonderful experience to share with the children, see their smiles when they taste our fruit, and connect RIOblanco with the surrounding communities. This is an activity we repeat every year; we are very happy and proud to share with them and grow closer to the community every day.”
Marcela Guerrero, Quality Manager North, commented on how glad she was to have participated in the event:
“The children’s reception was spectacular. Everyone wanted to participate and listened attentively to our talk about quality, varieties, and the daily work we do. We felt so much love from them and the teachers.”
Through these actions, RIOblanco reaffirms its conviction that business growth must go hand in hand with the well-being and development of the regions where they operate, while promoting healthy eating habits among younger generations.
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