Adopting sustainable practices isn’t only good for the planet; it also can be a boon for business.
The Packer’s 2023 Sustainability Insights Survey found that over three-quarters of consumers consider sustainability a priority when making produce-purchasing decisions. Though that number is down slightly from the previous year, the decline is likely a short-term response to rising food costs rather than a permanent shift.
While most produce industry players recognize the benefits of operating sustainably, they also face numerous challenges in their related efforts — from complying with government regulations to choosing the right packaging to communicating clear sustainability messages to consumers. The Packer asked growers and allied businesses about sustainability issues they think will most impact the produce industry in 2024.
Reducing plastics
One of the produce industry’s biggest challenges is the call to reduce plastics in packaging.
“Before COVID, we saw this rapid escalation to remove plastic off the shelves,” said Rochelle Bohm, vice president of marketing for CMI Orchards in Wenatchee, Wash., a grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears and cherries. “Then once COVID hit, everyone wanted that food security, and plastic was suddenly necessary.”
This eased the pressure to phase out plastic packaging, she added, but the reprieve was only temporary. Now, CMI and other growers are looking at solutions such as fiber packaging.
The issue, Bohm said, is that nonplastic materials can negatively impact product visibility, and if shoppers can’t see the quality of the fruit, they may not buy it.
Consumers aren’t the only ones pushing for less plastic; policymakers across the country are increasingly looking to reduce plastics pollution through legislation.
“Regulatory pressure is coming,” said Karen Reed, global director of marketing and communications for Kwik Lok in Yakima, Wash. “Everyone’s watching what’s happening in key states like California, Washington and Oregon, where there’s a lot going on. There’s also starting to be the reintroduction of some legislation at the federal level.”
This trend does not have a one-size-fits all solution. Instead, Reed said, produce companies are looking at a variety of sustainable options based on regional regulations and individual sustainability priorities.
To help clients find the right balance, Kwik Lok is investing in materials science and running life-cycle analyses.
“We have a spotty patchwork of a recycling system, and we have a program for home composting that’s really limited, so you have to consider end of life,” Reed said. “That’s where it starts getting complicated, because certain materials may appear to be more environmentally friendly on the surface, but when you look at the entire life cycle, they may not be.”
The company now offers two eco-friendly bag closures for produce applications, including Eco-Lok, which contains less plastic than a traditional closure and degrades faster in the landfill, and Enviro-Lok, made from a polypropylene proprietary mix that greatly reduces plastic content.
Mark Hoppenjans, vice president of sales and sustainable business for Sev-Rend in Collinsville, Ill., said demand for sustainable packaging is increasing, especially as companies strive to meet retailer guidelines for 2025.
“Clients are choosing one of two paths,” he said. “The first is to know the options, implement where it makes sense and stay ahead of retail targets. The second group seems to react when a retailer asks, and then reaches out to us about materials and cost. The biggest concern for packers is cost and how much of it the retailer will absorb.”
The latest addition to Sev-Rend’s sustainable packaging line is its bio-Able lettuce pouch, developed for Blue Sky Organic Farms in Litchfield Park, Ariz. It is microperforated and will break down to zero micro-plastics in a terrestrial or marine environment.
Sara Dolan, organic farm manager at Blue Sky Farms, said that even small companies can adopt packaging that aligns with their sustainable farming practices. For Blue Sky, which has been certified organic for more than 30 years, moving away from single-use plastics is an important step forward.
“It’s absolutely possible to get better packaging, and I think we should expect that from companies,” she said. “We really hope that not only the consumers, but other farmers and packagers, will take notice.”
Communicating sustainability
Given consumer confusion, companies need to effectively communicate their sustainable practices in the marketplace.
“We recognize that there is a lot of greenwashing out there,” said Bohm of CMI Orchards. “It’s very easy to slap a label on a package that says ‘earth-friendly’ or ‘sustainable.’”
In response, CMI Orchards conducts thorough research to ensure that the company is bringing truly sustainable solutions to the table, she said. It also provides transparency to consumers and retailers through a program called Relax, in which packaging is labeled with a shield that explains why the product meets CMI’s sustainability benchmarks.
“We also have a QR code because we know that sometimes the sustainable shopper is very interested in the details, and we want to remove that burden from the retailer as much as possible,” Bohm said.
For many consumers, there is a lot of confusion about what is recyclable or compostable and which materials will break down faster in a landfill, said Reed of Kwik Lok.
“You’re going to see a lot of effort going into trying to clarify things,” she said, citing updates to the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides, which aim to help marketers avoid making misleading environmental claims. “The big thing that we’re telling our customers is to really utilize the science. That will give you specifics that you can share with your consumers, and that’s going to build trust. We need to start showing our work.”
Reed recommends sharing detailed information via QR codes on product labels and on company websites.
“When our customers launch a product with that packaging, they can put that information in their press release, on their website, and in their social media,” she said.
Education and data collection
Along with coming together as an industry to create a clear definition of sustainability for consumers, Apolinar Blanco of Chelan Fresh in Chelan, Wash., views education as a top priority for the coming year.
“We as an industry need to do a better job of educating retailers on the things our industry has always done to be sustainable and responsible stewards of our food, our planet and our people,” said Blanco, who was recently appointed as Chelan’s first sustainability and social responsibility manager. “As sustainability becomes more and more relevant to consumers, buyers in turn start requesting that suppliers disclose data regarding sustainability.”
Chelan Fresh addresses the issue by educating its staff and then sharing the information with warehouse employees and growers.
“This helps the company understand the importance of sustainability and why consumers are starting to be more curious about what happens behind the scenes,” Blanco said.
Data collection is a big part of the process — and another challenge for the industry.
“Sustainability is industrywide, from the orchards to the final product in the consumer’s home to the packaging left after the product has been eaten,” Blanco said. “This brings many avenues of data that can be collected, and there is no standard of what will be asked, what can be submitted or what is useful to report. We will continue to work with our growers and retail partners to provide actual data that gives a clear picture of how we strive to improve our sustainable processes year over year.”
As a result, Chelan Fresh makes sure to keep all sustainability data, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to help keep track of what goes on in the business, he said. The company says it is also looking into cutting-edge methods for gathering and storing sustainability data.
Sev-Rend’s Hoppenjans also sees data collection as a challenge, particularly for growers and packers in providing information for retail portals.
“Look at the data needed and be willing to learn,” he said. “If you’re supplying a major retailer, data on carbon and waste is part of it moving forward.”
Setting sustainability goals
To keep the momentum going in 2024, Chelan Fresh recently released its first annual Joyfully Grown Commitment Report detailing the company’s sustainability and social responsibility efforts. Along with data and statistics, the consumer-focused report explains the practices involved in growing, harvesting and packing fruit under the Joyfully Grown brand, including composting, pollinator protection and carbon sequestration.
At Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee, Wash. — a grower, packer and marketer of apples, cherries and pears — the company plan is all about moving forward.
“Continuous improvement is a key aspect of our business,” said Brianna Shales, marketing director.
On the farming side, Stemilt’s constantly evolving sustainable practices include integrated pest management, micro-irrigation, pollinator protection, composting and the use of electric forklifts and solar panels.
CMI Orchards plans to maintain its current sustainability initiatives in 2024. That includes using integrated pest management practices in its orchards to reduce pesticide use and converting to drip irrigation and microsprinklers to save water.
“We’re integrating regenerative farming practices into what we’re doing in a big way, and we’re working toward a certified carbon-negative apple, pear and cherry product line,” Bohm said. “That’s something that we’re really focused on amongst our owners and grower groups.”
