In whatever way a company decides to help the planet, from field to fork, it’s a step in the right direction.
“All these issues are important,” says Ben Johnson, president of Bridges Produce, Inc. BB #:168499 of Portland, OR, “and we all must play a role in sustainability, from soil fertility and waste reduction to more efficient transportation.
“We can’t pass this off as something farmers need to do and no one else needs to take responsibility for,” he adds. “We need every warehouse and every store and every consumer to take steps to reduce their impact and push for fundamental change.”
Tracy Shinners-Carnelley, vice president of research, quality, and sustainability for Peak of the Market Ltd. BB #:385653 in Winnipeg, MB, puts it this way: “I think about renewability and regeneration as elements of sustainability; for example, regenerative agriculture is an approach to sustainable production systems that focuses on soil conservation and health.
“Sustainability has become such an important topic in the industry today because many of its elements are at the top of consumers’ minds,” she continues.
“Things like packaging materials and plastics, food waste, climate change and its impact on agriculture, and soil health are all pieces of the same puzzle.”
Referring to the various aspects and lingo circling around the complex issue, Johnson urges companies to keep their eyes on the prize.
“All of these terms have had their 15 minutes of fame as marketing buzzwords, but they all speak to the fundamental truth that we must make profound changes to ‘business as usual’ to protect the natural world on which we all depend,” he warns.
“The farmers driving the movement for regenerative and sustainable agriculture are doing this not for marketing purposes, but because they are passionate about being good stewards of the environment.”
The distinctions between renewability, sustainability, and regeneration can seem daunting.
Nikki Cossio, CEO of Measure to Improve, LLC in Salinas, CA, explains it more simply, in the form of the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and profit. “Being a sustainable business means you’re taking care of people—your workers and communities.
“It also means taking care of the planet by reducing the environmental impact of your operations. And if you’re doing these things, oftentimes they lead to long- and short-term cost savings that make sense from a business standpoint, i.e., profit.”
All of the industry experts we spoke to for this article were unanimous: sustainability practices are a different breed than any other business strategy, because without them there is simply no planet on which to grow food.
“If we want to keep producing and feeding the world into the future, we must consider sustainability today,” Cossio says.
Ryan Begin, CEO and cofounder of Divert, Inc. in Concord, MA, agrees. “With the current state of our world and climate change, it’s vital for the produce industry to take sustainability into account,” he stresses. “Modern technology and new processes are making these sustainability efforts possible.
“The industry has more work ahead to get where it needs to be, but a committed effort towards sustainability from all is the first step in the right direction.”
Despite the damage already done, and the formidable nature of the work ahead, Garland Perkins, senior manager of innovation and sustainability for David Oppenheimer & Associates, or Oppy, BB #:116424 headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is optimistic.
“The future of sustainability in the produce industry is bright,” she says.
While most produce companies and retailers have ambitious goals over a protracted timeline of five to seven years, she considers it an exciting time with plenty of reasons to hope.
“I’m confident that over this time period, we will all learn an immense amount about what success looks like when it comes to achieving progress, how we quantify our impact, and—most importantly—how we build on our successes in the next ten to twenty years, so our industry continues to thrive for decades to come.”
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.
