Efforts to implement sustainable practices can seem overwhelming to companies just beginning the process, as it requires integration across all operations.
“One of the biggest issues is simply understanding where to begin,” says Garland Perkins, senior manager of innovation and sustainability for David Oppenheimer & Associates, or Oppy, BB #:116424 headquartered in Vancouver, BC.
“Data pertaining to sustainability efforts most often comes from a wide array of sources throughout a company’s supply chain, not to mention the time required to collect data and ensure the quality is sufficient.
“However, I believe we’re beginning to address these challenges as an industry,” she adds. “Collaborating with stakeholders throughout the chain will be imperative for creating a more streamlined data collection process.”
An impressive group of companies, both large and small, are looking to do their part.
Minos Athanassiadis, partner and consultant with Fresh Link Group, LLC BB #:191833 in Bakersfield, CA, mentions Calavo, Del Monte, Pappas & Sons, Dole, and others as having outlined sustainability plans. “These companies use their sustainability programs to promote the mission, to both their trade customers and their consumers.
“From a grower/packer/shipper perspective, tracking energy use and emissions, water use and recycling, and long-term ecological balance and environmental soundness are significant areas of attention,” he stresses. “Recently, the concept of social equity has also entered the discussion.”
Walmart is another major player in the sustainability game with Project Gigaton, a program aiming to reduce or avoid one billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from the global value chain by 2030—an effort that needs significant cooperation to succeed.
Over 5,300 suppliers have signed on to Project Gigaton according to Walmart’s website, which Nikki Cossio, CEO of Measure to Improve, LLC in Salinas, CA, says requires setting various sustainability-related goals and reporting progress annually.
“Annual reporting on a variety of indicators is a time- and resource-intensive task for many suppliers,” she continues.
“However, it’s not without its benefits. Measure to Improve is helping our customers navigate the platform, benchmarking and measuring progress. The sustainability data being collected gives managers great visibility into aspects of their businesses they may have overlooked.”
Lawmakers, too, are trying to set standards via legislation to promote sustainability and reduce waste, via the Farm Bill and the Food Donation Improvement Act.
The former promotes food waste prevention, recycling, and reduction coordination as well as surplus food recovery, while the latter facilitates increased food donations and reducing wasted food and greenhouse gas emissions.
Ryan Begin, CEO and cofounder of Divert, Inc. in Concord, MA, considers the farm bill “an important piece of legislation with the potential to benefit the industry and have a significant impact on consumers, the environment, and the trade.
“The bill represents this year’s only meaningful opportunity for our industry federally. Some of the initiatives will serve as key opportunities to push sustainability efforts and address the wasted food crisis.
“The Food Donation Improvement Act legislation is coming at a critical time when American families are increasingly vulnerable to food insecurity, high inflation, and the soaring cost of food, making it more important than ever.”
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.
