One more thing about sustainability
In a May survey about sustainability, The Packer offered respondents the chance to provide “any other thoughts” on sustainability.
Here are their responses:
“By developing a reduction pathway aligned to a worst-case two degrees change in global temperatures, we are making a statement that shows other global agricultural companies that it is possible to run a successful business while simultaneously embracing carbon reduction. Indeed, we believe it is in the best interest long-term for our business to make these carbon reduction elements cornerstones of our business model. Our actions will only be successful if they are not to the detriment of our commercial offering. We have spent considerable time ensuring that we can safeguard our productivity, quality, and excellence in logistics and service. The investments to do this are considerable; however, we believe they will strengthen our long-term competitiveness. We hope that our retail customers will find elements of our Behind the Blue Sticker approach that will resonate and align with their current business objectives and practices. We hope to inspire our partners to work with us and to develop collaborative plans of action. On climate change, the imperative for collective action is even greater. “
— Carlos Lopez Flores, president of Chiquita Brands International.
“The biggest gap that we see as auditors visiting a large number of companies across sectors is that there is a huge lack of financial support and incentives for the production level (where most impacts occur to natural environment).”
— Bonnie Holman, director of sustainable agriculture for SCS Global, Emeryville, Calif.
“(We need) better coordination between brands, growers and retailers to get field-to-grocer as locally and quickly as possible. Shipping across the country or continent leaves a bigger carbon footprint.”
— Annette Nelson, researcher with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
“The metrics to measure sustainability are highly complex — simple monitoring of carbon footprint and water usage can paint an incomplete picture and ignore other key variables like gas emissions, soil erosion, impact of packing materials, and more.”
— Dane Dickerson, marketing director at Fusionware, Heber City, Utah.
“One of the challenges of measuring sustainability in our industry is how you can apply universal metrics to such a wide variety of crops. I think that is one reason that expectations for sustainability are constantly evolving. Sustainability initiatives really need to have value to the individual business to be successful; however, we can’t manage what we don’t measure, so focusing on measurement is important for driving sustainability initiatives in the future.”
— Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt Growers, Wenatchee, Wash.
“This is important stuff, and it should be of concern to everyone. What we have learned is amazing! The progress we have made as an industry is astounding! It’s still new. There’s still a lot of work to be done. We all need to keep our thumb on it, moving it forward as fast as we reasonably can. Instant pressure to post big improvement numbers now is creating a distraction from true progress, and it’s causing some to do it wrong, and/or flat-out B.S. That screws up the whole of the data and fogs over an unimpaired base to manage from. Work hard, stay the course, do it right!”
— Michael Agostini, owner of Miago Produce Industry Services.
“Too many customers wanting their own sustainability standard and assessment. Lack of calculation methodologies on farm for specialty crops.
— Wyatt Maysey, sustainability manager for Salinas, Calif.-based Taylor Farms.
“Engage the consumer in the process by rewarding their buying behavior.”
— Robert MacArthur, president of Soli, Cambridge, Mass.
“Setting up accurate and unbiased reporting and documentation is critical; some will be good and some not so good.”
— Gary Hilberg, chief sustainability officer for Hamilton, Mont.-based greenhouse marketer Local Bounti.
“Sustainability is assuming the cost of our individual freedom on society and the environment.”
— Abel Konan, economist with Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
“Greenwashing by companies and misinformed consumers can result in sustainability theater (and not real progress).”
— David Bell, chief marketing officer and greenhouse marketer Houweling’s, Camarillo, Calif.
