The cultural system of leadership in produce agriculture has been status quo for the last 100 or more years, says one produce veteran and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion (or DEI) initiatives.
In this Equitable Food Initiative-partnered episode of “Tip of the Iceberg Podcast,” learn from Vic Clark, who has 20-plus years in the produce industry as general manager at companies such as Del Monte, Hardies and Ready-Pac. He also serves on the DEI committee of the International Fresh Produce Association. Listen below:
“The only thing I’ve seen change in the last 25 years in this industry is the calendar,” Clark said about DEI.
DEI initiatives increase worker commitment and performance and have positive bottom-line effects, EFI’s LeAnne Rhodes Ruzzamenti said in the podcast chat. And produce companies are continually looking for ways to improve the company culture.
Clark provides perspective on how the generational history of farming has influenced who leads today and on what employees — no matter what your role — can do today to influence change for the better.
His advice is to begin inviting people into the industry before there is a job available. We need to build relationships with young people as they are pursuing their education, Clark said.
It takes is a willingness to get outside your comfort level and have a conversation about the realities and opportunities within the industry.
Listen: Scroll through all the episodes of “Tip of the Iceberg Podcast.”
Clark highlights some of the efforts IFPA is leading around DEI to connect with historically Black colleges and universities and gives concrete examples of things we can all do to help create a more diverse industry.
He also makes the case that attracting a diverse workforce will help the industry sell products across a diverse audience.
One such resource from IFPA is a report on the Korn Ferry Diversity and Inclusion Maturity Model. This model can provide a comprehensive, current snapshot of how mature an organization is in diversity and inclusion. Maturity models that are well designed and grounded in research can also serve as an effective strategy-setting tool to create a roadmap of where the organization wants to go and at what pace.
In this 2.0 version of the model, there are five dimensions: compliance, awareness, talent integration, operations integration, and market integration. Within each dimension, the model differentiates between behavioral and structural inclusion.
Listen to this “Tip of the Iceberg Podcast” episode: DEI Vic Clark: How to diversify produce leadership
Here are links to resources mentioned: MANNRS and IFPA DEI Statement.
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