Sustainability
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.
With 320 million pounds of food estimated to be wasted this Thanksgiving, ReFED shares tips to help consumers plan smarter, store better and cut waste during the season of gratitude.
Researchers at the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition highlight how data, packaging innovation and a focus on quality are key to reducing loss and waste throughout global food systems.
According to ReFED, 320 million pounds of Thanksgiving food, which includes 75 million pounds of produce, is headed for the trash bin.
As the 42 million people who receive SNAP benefits await payment, food rescue nonprofit Sharing Excess has launched a website that aims to connect food distribution centers with people in need.
Interested stakeholders can submit written comments on the management proposal under the Bay-Delta Plan by Nov. 7 and attend an in-person informational event on Nov. 5.
To learn more about how the pause to SNAP benefits could impact everyone from farmers to retailers to consumers, The Packer spoke with The Alliance to End Hunger President Eric Mitchell.
The company says the honor spotlights the visionary leadership and impact-driven ethos of Coleman, the president and co-owner of the Montreal-based Equifruit.
The affordable grocery app is making its Los Angeles debut in partnership with Gelson’s Markets, where it is offering its signature Produce Box — a mix of fresh and high-quality produce worth $18 to $25 — for just $9.