Measuring carbon footprint becoming more common for produce companies

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2007 was the first year that the expression “carbon footprint” was mentioned in the pages of The Packer. 

At the time, industry and consumer voices in the United Kingdom were debating whether the use of food miles as the top consideration in food purchases was fair to African vegetable exporters. 

Today, a growing number of produce companies are paying attention to their carbon footprint.

Global retailers, notably Walmart, have been instrumental in creating greater focus on the issue.

Last fall, Walmart said more than 2,300 suppliers have signed on to its Project Gigaton, an effort announced in 2019 to remove 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from its global supply chain by 2030.

In a May survey by The Packer, industry operators were asked if and how they measured their carbon footprint. Most responding to the survey said they are currently measuring their carbon footprint or planning to do so in the future.

Nikki Cossio, founder and CEO of Measure to Improve LLC, Salinas, Calif., said regenerative ag, carbon sequestration and carbon credits have become hot topics among growers. Growers want to stay ahead of any regulatory mandates, so they are searching for understanding on reducing greenhouse gases, she said.

 

Choosing a route

Inconsistency in the methodology for measuring the carbon footprint is one reason Viva Tierra is not currently calculating its carbon footprint, said Chris Ford, business development and marketing manager for the Vernon, Wash.-based organic marketer.

Cherie France, marketing manager at Homegrown Organic Farms, Porterville, Calif., said the company doesn’t currently have a settled method of measuring its carbon footprint.

Sinclair International is not calculating its carbon footprint now but is researching the appropriate tools to accomplish that, said Scott Howarth, director of research and development at the Fresno, Calif.-based company.

 

The first steps


Some produce operators are just beginning to measure their carbon footprint.

“This is actually something we are embarking on in 2021,” said Brianna Shales, marketing director for Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers. “We are utilizing a third party to assist,” she said, adding the company will share more details as the program ramps up.

The Oppenheimer Group has previously measured its carbon footprint with the help of third-party consultants, said Steve Roosdahl, vice president of operations for the Vancouver, British Columbia-based company. That process, he said, helped the company develop a deeper understanding of its environmental impact and focus on areas to make priorities.

California Giant is in the planning stages of developing and implementing a plan to measure its carbon footprint, said Eric Valenzuela, director of food safety and sustainability at the Watsonville, Calif.-based company. 

“To accomplish this goal, we are working with third party consultants and vendors to find the right approach that benefits all parties,” he said

Limoneira is currently using a third-party service to help measure its carbon footprint, said Alex Teague, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Santa Paula, Calif.-based company.

Wholesum measures certain activities from its value chain to calculate its carbon footprint, said Olga Borquez, sustainability manager at the Amado, Ariz.-based company. In addition, she said the company uses Microsoft Power BI, a data analysis and report authoring tool, to calculate and analyze the data.

Operational and utility data are used to measure Taylor Farms’ carbon footprint, said Wyatt Maysey, sustainability manager for the Salinas-based company.

Village Farms measures its carbon footprint with the Good for the Earth platform, said Helen Aquino, director of brand marketing for the Delta, Ontario-based firm. 

Greenhouse marketer Houweling’s, Camarillo, Calif., reports quarterly on sustainability metrics that include electricity, natural gas and CO2 consumption, said David Bell, chief marketing officer.

Gary Hilberg, chief sustainability officer for greenhouse producer Local Bounti, Hamilton, Mont., said the firm captures all of it Scope 1 (direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the company) and Scope 2 (greenhouse gas emissions from the generation of purchased electricity consumed by the company) inputs directly. In addition, it also inputs Scope 3 (all upstream emissions from the production of goods, as well as services) feed inputs, waste and transportation miles. 

Chiquita recently announced the launch of its 30BY30 initiative, a major program to reduce carbon emissions in its operations by 30% by the end of 2030, said Carlos Lopez Flores, president of Chiquita Brands International, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 

“After a thorough review process, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved Chiquita’s 30BY30 sustainability program and aggressive climate target goals, making Chiquita the first global fruit company to be recognized by SBTi,” Flores said. 

Recognizing the imminent threat that climate change poses to its banana crop and farming communities, Chiquita commissioned a carbon footprint study to identify key areas of focus for carbon emission reduction, Flores said. The results of the study then guided the creation of the 30BY30 carbon reduction program, he said. 

“In accordance with the Paris Agreement, Chiquita has set a fully detailed roadmap until 2030 with clear objectives to reduce energy consumption by moving to greener electricity using solar panels and wind turbines, replacing diesel use by switching to biofuels or electric vehicles, and reducing nitrogen emissions from fertilizers,” he said. 

“The company has also made it a priority to work closely with its supply chain partners to enable them to develop their own science-based plan by 2025. Chiquita has been farming in Central America for over 120 years and have witnessed the effects of climate change first-hand. Global warming brings increased rainfall, hurricanes and flooding, which negatively impact the livelihoods of our employees, their families and the communities where they live as well as inhibits consistent product availability for our customers and consumers. We hope that by working with SBTi, we can continue to lead the way toward a more sustainable future in the produce industry.”

 

 

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