Sustainability:
Not Just A Buzzword
Sustainability in its many forms has become an integral
component of farming, and food processing and
marketing operations. That was the conclusion of a
panel of professionals representing farm co-ops, food
processors, food retailers and the Almond Board of
California speaking to a packed house at the
Blue
Diamond Growers
annual growers meeting.
With Alicia Rockwell, Director of Public Affairs for
Blue
Diamond Grower
s, leading the session, the panelists
responded to questions about “What do people want
from you regarding sustainability
?
”, “What business
outcomes have you experienced from such programs
?
”,
“How do you manage risk
?
”, and much more.
The panelists: Gabrielle Ludwig, Almond Board of
California; Adrienne Moller, Ocean Spray; Tina Owens,
Kashi Supply Chain; Darcie Renn, Albertsons/Safeway.
What do people want?
Darcie: “People want to feel good about what they
are buying.”
Tina agreed, adding: “They want to know what you are
doing for the good of the environment, what farming
practices you are using.”
Gabrielle noted that the Almond Board has an
environmental committee devoted to promoting almond
growing practices that have less environmental impact.
What business outcomes have you seen from your
sustainability programs?
Adrienne: “We include economic viability as a component
of our program. We emphasize community involvement
and outreach, and do the necessary assessments to
develop information about our practices and impacts
before people ask for it.”
Tina: “Seventy percent of our consumers say that some
aspect of sustainability drives their purchase decisions.
Our employees are also engaged. They want to work for
a brand that has a mission that is important to them.”
Darcie: “People ask about our products, how they are
grown, what the environmental and health impacts are.
It is good to have the information in advance. That way
we shape the story, not someone else.”
What have you heard from your growers about
sustainability?
Tina: “If we are asking our growers to do something,
we help them find the information they need to do it.”
Adrienne: “Our growers see a return on investment
(ROI) in sustainability. As a co-op, Ocean Spray
controls the product from field to consumer, so we have
an opportunity to achieve an ROI on our inputs. Our
employees also have ownership in the process.”
Alicia: “
Blue Diamond Growers
has hard data on water
use for growing and processing almonds as well as
on water use reductions that almond growers achieved
before and during the drought. When the media came
calling during the drought, we were able to answer their
questions and show them how sustainable our growers’
practices are. Our experience shows that it is worth the
time and effort to gather sustainability data and do the
self-assessments necessary to answer to the public and
to our global customers who want to know what we
are doing on the farm and in our factories to protect
the environment and deliver healthy food.”
ANNUALGROWERSMEETING
2 8
A L M O N D F A C T S
