Businesses involved in the growing, shipping, and selling of food have the dual responsibility of leaning into sustainability and addressing waste.
“The produce industry is both directly contributing to and impacted by climate change,” points out Ryan Begin, CEO and cofounder of Divert, Inc., a Concord, MA company that works with businesses to reduce waste through new efficiencies and sustainable solutions.
“It’s vital that we come together on the solutions needed to improve sustainability across the industry,” he says.
The effort runs the length of the perishables supply chain, from fields and greenhouses to retail shelves and restaurant tables.
In growing fields, soil is a fundamental element, and this is what Ben Johnson, president of Bridges Produce, Inc. BB #:168499 of Portland, OR, talks about when asked to discuss important sustainability initiatives in the industry.
“In recent years, there’s been a huge increase in the knowledge and understanding of soil health and how to manage soil fertility in different regions and climates,” he says.
“The increase in farms participating and experimenting with biologics, cover cropping, and animal grazing as a part of crop rotation is providing more data to identify the most efficient and effective methods.”
Water, too, is a major part of the sustainability picture, notes Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas BB #:144354 in Nogales, AZ.
“In Mexico, the advancement of protected agriculture, including greenhouses and shade houses, has a huge impact in several areas,” he explains. “They use drip or hydroponic growing, which is low intensity for local and community water systems.
“Many parts of Mexico, just like the western United States, are in a drought, so it’s important to use all technologies to reduce water use.”
Jungmeyer indicates other environmental benefits to protected agriculture, including integrated pest control that reduces the need for chemicals and also helps fruit have fewer blemishes, lead to less overall waste and a higher percentage of top quality crops.
Europe and the United Kingdom are having their own issues. Fruit and vegetable shortages, many exacerbated by drought and other environmental issues, have prompted strict regulations that are reaching across the Atlantic and impacting U.S. suppliers.
“Companies that export produce to Europe are seeing these trends more acutely,” says Nikki Cossio, CEO of Measure to Improve, LLC in Salinas, CA, citing studies that agriculture contributes as much as 11 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
“Many companies are already being asked [by international trade partners] to report their greenhouse gas emissions,” she says. “Reporting this information is now part of the cost of doing business.”
This is an excerpt from the cover story in the May/June 2023 issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine. Click here to read the whole issue.
Businesses involved in the growing, shipping, and selling of food have the dual responsibility of leaning into sustainability and addressing waste.
“The produce industry is both directly contributing to and impacted by climate change,” points out Ryan Begin, CEO and cofounder of Divert, Inc., a Concord, MA company that works with businesses to reduce waste through new efficiencies and sustainable solutions.
“It’s vital that we come together on the solutions needed to improve sustainability across the industry,” he says.
The effort runs the length of the perishables supply chain, from fields and greenhouses to retail shelves and restaurant tables.
In growing fields, soil is a fundamental element, and this is what Ben Johnson, president of Bridges Produce, Inc. BB #:168499 of Portland, OR, talks about when asked to discuss important sustainability initiatives in the industry.
“In recent years, there’s been a huge increase in the knowledge and understanding of soil health and how to manage soil fertility in different regions and climates,” he says.
“The increase in farms participating and experimenting with biologics, cover cropping, and animal grazing as a part of crop rotation is providing more data to identify the most efficient and effective methods.”
Water, too, is a major part of the sustainability picture, notes Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas BB #:144354 in Nogales, AZ.
“In Mexico, the advancement of protected agriculture, including greenhouses and shade houses, has a huge impact in several areas,” he explains. “They use drip or hydroponic growing, which is low intensity for local and community water systems.
“Many parts of Mexico, just like the western United States, are in a drought, so it’s important to use all technologies to reduce water use.”
Jungmeyer indicates other environmental benefits to protected agriculture, including integrated pest control that reduces the need for chemicals and also helps fruit have fewer blemishes, lead to less overall waste and a higher percentage of top quality crops.
Europe and the United Kingdom are having their own issues. Fruit and vegetable shortages, many exacerbated by drought and other environmental issues, have prompted strict regulations that are reaching across the Atlantic and impacting U.S. suppliers.
“Companies that export produce to Europe are seeing these trends more acutely,” says Nikki Cossio, CEO of Measure to Improve, LLC in Salinas, CA, citing studies that agriculture contributes as much as 11 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
“Many companies are already being asked [by international trade partners] to report their greenhouse gas emissions,” she says. “Reporting this information is now part of the cost of doing business.”
This is an excerpt from the cover story in the May/June 2023 issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine. Click here to read the whole issue.
