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FTSLA News

Member News

Sustainability Tips & Resources

Sustainability Headlines

FTSLA News

Reminder - register today! FTSLA Webinar 12/17: "Measuring and Reducing Your Carbon Footprint and Energy Use"

Climate change is a growing reality, with critical implications for our food supply and business. It's also increasingly important for stakeholders.To thrive in this context, organic companies must measure and reduce emissions, and communicate how they're making a difference. This engaging webinar with industry experts and interactive Q&A will help companies at all levels chart successful next steps. You'll learn about current tools and methods, peer best practices and industry resources for assistance. Don't miss out!

When: December 17, 2 PM Eastern Time (11 AM Pacific Time)
Length: 1 hour plus Q&A for attendee questions
Cost: $25 for OTA and FTSLA members - introductory discount (50% off regular price)
Register: Register online here. If you have questions, contact Melissa Schweisguth, melissa@ftsla.org, 541-727-0460

Calling all FTSLA Members - FTSLA Member Retreat January 23, 2010 - please RSVP!

FTSLA members are invited to a Membership Retread, held on 1/23/10 from 9 am-4 pm at the Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, CA

Please RSVP to Melissa Schweisguth, melissa@ftsla.org,
541-727-0470

At the engaging, invite-only, members-only gather we will:

• Share members' annual sustainability reports
• Learn from each others successes and challenges
• Strengthen our collective voice, form shared initiatives and build on partnerships
• Learn about our 5-year Strategy
• Provide input on FTSLA's overarching direction, and how we can best meet our mission and members' needs and add value for our members
  
  

The retreat will be held after the Eco-Farm conference (Conference details onlin), but conference attendance is not required and there is no charge to attend.

Reminder - register soon! FTSLA Co-sponsors Eco-Farm Pre-conference: "The Business of Sustainability: Growing Health, Wealth, and Ecological Integrity in Our Food System"

This day-long workshop is organized by UC Santa Cruz's Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food System, with two tracks to meet the needs of businesses at all stages and networking time. The agenda features expert presentations on business development and sustainability practices from farm to retail, including business planning, financing, marketing, labor/workplace practices, sustainability measurement and certifications, and more. Learn more and register online.

FTSLA & OTA Host Sustainability Forum Discussions
FTSLA and OTA have partnered to develop and facilitate focused sustainability dialogues on OTA's Sustainability Practices forum. A different sustainability topic will be covered every 2 weeks, with industry experts serving as guest moderators and contributors. If you're an OTA member, be sure you're signed up for this forum and participate in the discussions. Guest experts are still needed. See the forum posting for more details or contact Tessa Young at OTA.

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Member News

FTSLA and several members were the focus of a piece in the October/November issue of Oregon Tilth. Read the article here.

Nature's Path's sustainability efforts were featured in Green Biz recently. Read the article here.

Sustainability Tips & Resources

Green Impact and GreenBiz have partnered to develop a new guide for engaging employees in sustainability, focused on developing green teams. Check it out to tap the power of passionate staff to enhance your progress and workplace engagement.

The OTA has launched an updated website on organics for consumer audiences, "Organic, It's Worth It." This serves as a resource for companies working to communicate the benefits of organic to consumers

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) recently released detailed metrics to help companies assess progress towards SPC's packaging principles. While these do not factor n key organic issues like the use of GMO's in bioplastics, they offer many useful, metrics for a detailed assessment social, environmental and economic impacts across the lifecycle

Sustainability Headlines

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recently reported that food waste in US accounts for 40% of food supply, 25% of water use, 4% of oil use and represents 1,400 calories/person/day. This is a key issue for the food industry that can be addressed positively by focusing on reducing food waste from farm to consumer as part of overall sustainability programming.

The US EPA officially released findings stating that greenhouse gases threaten public health, paving the way for regulations on emissions and requirements for emissions mitigation and control at facilities emitting above a defined limit. Small businesses are may not be affected directly, but may see increased costs for energy and materials that are passed on by companies that are directly regulated. Read more here.

For more headlines and regular updates, follow our twitter feed.

Contact Info

Natalie Reitman-White, Executive Director
541.852.0745 or info@ftsla.org