Eduardo Pena’s life isn’t just about crops and soil, it's about people.
As Woolworths’ senior agronomist, he connects the business to farms and families across Australia. When Eduardo talks about fruit and veg, it’s not just with scientific precision. It’s with the warmth of someone who genuinely loves what he does.
Meet the team: Eduardo Pena
2:13 min read
“It's incredibly important for Woolworths to have strong partnerships with our growers and suppliers. Working as an Agronomist at Woolworths allows me to build a strong connection with them,” says Eduardo. “I truly enjoy working alongside these businesses and families, getting to know them and understanding their passion, their challenges and successes on growing fruit & veg for Woolworths. These relationships are vital for ensuring we have a consistent supply of fresh and delicious fruit & veg for our customers.”
Eduardo’s role is also deeply personal. “We obviously want to see the volume and the quality that is coming. But when challenging situations happen, like floods, bushfire, rain and hail, we want to work collaboratively with our growers to make sure they get the best outcome possible.”
To combat these adverse conditions and promote sustainable crops, Eduardo is forging enduring relationships with growers, such as Michael Vorassi from Comfresh who supply Woolworths customers with top-quality produce, such as herbs, cucumbers and tomatoes.
“With Comfresh, we're working on moving some products that can be grown in controlled environments, such as herbs, into glass houses.”
As Woolworths celebrates its 100-year anniversary, Eduardo acknowledges all the business has achieved partnering with Australian growers, but also highlights the intricate work that happens behind the scenes or as he calls it the “incremental innovations”. It’s a focus on moving the fresh food dial forward, without sacrificing the quality that’s been achieved throughout the century. These innovations include the production of seedless fruit and vegetables and improving the flavour profiles of fruit and vegetables. He adds that his personal favourite “is tearless onions that don’t make customers cry when cutting them”.
“The idea came about six years ago and it’s finally happened. Now I can see that we’ve made a difference. We call this product ‘Happy Chop,’” he laughs.
To get an understanding of Eduardo’s nine years with Woolworths is to realise that behind every shelf stocked with fresh produce is a story – a story of farmers, of tradition, and of people who, like Eduardo, have dedicated their lives to ensuring the best produce ends up on our tables.
