Sustainability
Measure to Improve explains why produce businesses should ditch over-ambitious targets and why starting small is the only way to ensure long-term credibility with retailers.
At 60, “Farmer Steve” transformed an overgrown Connecticut property into a joyful garden, orchard and sunflower room that became a viral TikTok inspiration, proving it’s never too late to start growing.
The nonprofit workforce development and certification organization says millions in worker bonuses, expanded trainings and new board members strengthened its impact across the fresh produce industry.
The Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer is supporting a coral comeback with Force Blue by installing a field nursery of coral-decorated “trees” in the Florida Keys.
The author of What to Eat Now, says agricultural subsidies, rising relative prices and retail consolidation combine to make fresh fruits and vegetables harder to sell, even as they remain central to public health and sustainability.
The International Fresh Produce Association introduces a collaborative framework designed to create a common language and practical guidance for sustainability efforts, empowering growers and enhancing market differentiation by late 2026.
Potato growers share how they’re increasingly incorporating sustainable practices into their operations to drive efficiency and more.
The retailer is partnering with Mill and Amazon to deploy on-site, AI-driven technology that converts produce department scraps into chicken feed, aiming to reduce operational costs and halve food waste by 2030.
Divert expands its Northern California customer base while supporting General Produce’s commitment to create a more responsible supply chain.
The Potato Sustainability Alliance provides a variety of services to help companies incorporate sustainable operating practices into their businesses.
Divert’s retail-focused approach to managing unsold produce has helped grocers like Safeway boost food donations by 20% in three months, while giving produce teams clearer visibility and control over waste.
The company’s president explains how its farming practices have led to record productivity, larger fruit size and environmental responsibility, dispelling the myth that sustainability is too costly for growers.
Packaging has become as important to the fresh produce industry as water, or at least next in line behind water, says Emerald Packaging CEO Kevin Kelly.
Leadership says the new program aims to lower farmer production costs while tipping a hat to Secretary Kennedy’s MAHA initiatives.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says 18 states now have a measure in place to restrict the purchase of certain items and that the USDA will allocate $700 million to regenerative ag.
The company is helping retailers recover value and reduce shrink by diverting 84,000 pounds of food waste per day through tech-enabled partnerships.
The Watsonville, Calif.-based berry grower says this recognition demonstrates its commitment to social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
As interest in sustainable packaging intensifies, companies are introducing advanced solutions to reduce environmental impact.
Atlas is developing a spray-applied coating made from sugar kelp, a brown seaweed, that can extend shelf life, reduce spoilage and provide a sustainable new raw material stream for the produce industry.
The U.S. Food Waste Pact is uniting growers, retailers and supply-chain partners through data-driven collaboration to reduce on-farm losses and retail shrink — exemplified by the strawberry whole-chain pilot that turned unharvested, out-of-spec fruit into profitable new markets.
The collaboration aims to enhance access to hands-on STEM learning, sustainability education and next-generation career pathways for millions of students.
Each year, Berry Sweet Research assesses 10,000 seedlings and advances approximately 100 elite selections for further evaluation across three strategic trial locations in California and Mexico.
Many major U.S. brands are scaling back packaging sustainability goals they set for 2025 because of economic, regulatory and infrastructure hurdles, according to RaboResearch.
Together, the three organizations say they are advancing a cutting-edge approach to breeding and growing high-quality strawberries indoors.
USDA estimates one in five children in the U.S. experiences hunger. Produce for Kids, produce sponsors and Publix shoppers are helping to meet this need with donations that support Feeding America food banks throughout the Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer’s footprint.
Reiter Affiliated Companies has added agricultural veteran Jeff Huckaby to its board, recognizing his extensive leadership in organic farming and sustainable growth.
Companies say efficient operations and regenerative agriculture are part of good business.
Started in 2016, the San Francisco-based market’s food recovery program continues to rescue and donate an incredible 4,000 pounds of produce a day from its 20 merchants.
The Netherlands-based company has entered a strategic agreement to license Pairwise’s precision plant breeding tools, with the goal of accelerating the development of improved vegetable varieties that meet the evolving needs of growers, retailers and consumers.
Nathan Pumplin, the CEO behind the Empress Purple Tomato, says we’re just a few years away from consumers seeing “bioengineered” as a premium, sought-after label in produce.