Lighten Your Distribution Footprint
January 24, 2008 8:30am-12:30pm
2008 Eco-Farm Conference Asilomar, California

In Chicago April 26-28, 2008 business members of the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership group will be participating in and helping to organize four sustainability practices focused meetings at the All Things Organic Conference

Climate change and high fuel prices, combined with emission concerns are creating big changes in distribution - are you prepared? This educational session will highlight ways to increase distribution efficiency, transition to renewable fuel sources and power systems, establish alternative distribution networks, and other resources that can save you money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Presenters include Buddy Polovick from the Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport Partnership and Bill Van Amburg who directs the Hybrid Truck Users Forum and biofuels work at WestStart, a non-profit that works to develop advanced transportation technologies that help clean the air, lessen our dependence on foreign oil, reduce global warming, and create jobs. The presentations will be followed by interactive discussion and networking opportunity.

Benefits to Attendees:
      1. Better understanding of the environmental impacts of freight activities and how to
            reduce those impacts, while improving their company's bottom line.
      2. Tools that can be used to quantify the costs, projected savings, and returns on
            investment for implementing technologies to increase efficiency of shipping and
            docking operations.
      3. Methods by which shippers can gain better information about their "transportation
            footprint" and use it to select more efficient carriers and modes.
      4. Opportunities for shippers to improve their corporate image and enhance public
            relations.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a separate fee to participate in this workshop-$75 for Eco-Farm attendees; $125 for those not going to more of the conference. Scholarships are available.
___________________

In Celebration of Local Growers
Group announces the distribution of a full color, 48-page calendar celebrating 22 regional growers from Cascadia, four non-profit seed saving organizations, several local citizen run advocacy groups promoting local food supply, and many land trusts preserving valuable farmland and sensitive ecosystems. The calendar highlights some of Cascadia's farmers and the extraordinary steps they are taking towards sustainability.

"We talk about supporting local growers, buying regionally, moving towards local food security and sustainability. There are dozens of adventurous organic farms in the region stretching the limits of what can be grown here, extending their growing seasons sustainably, planting new varieties, growing large volumes to answer food security issues, running their farms off solar power and creating added value local products.", says Natasha Spoden, Marketing Assistant at OGC.

This calendar is created to be sold and/or given away by Natural and Fine food stores in the Cascadia region, as a practical promotional tool to showcase their commitment to local farms. For more information on this calendar call Natasha Spoden at 541-461-6466. You can check out the calendar online at Discovery Organics.

The aim of the campaign is to promote education and action toward more sustainable practices by providing a common framework for companies across the organic food trade to benchmark progress. Prudence Ferreira of Amy’s Kitchen, and David Lively of Organically Grown Company, asked the audience for ideas on how to organize the sign-on campaign to best meet the needs of the organic food trade. Overall the audience was enthusiastic about having a common framework they could use for understanding sustainability principles, taking action, and benchmarking progress. Some workshop participants expressed concern that the campaign emphasizes “continual improvement” and should be careful not to exclude companies at the beginning stages of sustainability efforts from participating. The majority of workshop participants said their businesses would be willing to sign such a commitment.
________________

Your Input Invited on Declaration of Sustainability
Over the next six months the the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership (FTSL) initiative will continue to hold a series of five planned meetings aimed on formalizing the language of the Declaration of Sustainability. Signing on to the Declaration will provide a concrete way for companies to share their commitment to sustainability with their customers. Participating companies will also benefit by becoming part of a larger community of practice—receiving tools that support their efforts and advice on best practices. The Advisory Group hopes to have a final document ready for sign-on by the spring of 2008. If you are interested in helping to draft this participatory statement of the organic food trade’s vision and commitment to sustainability please contact project manager Natalie Retiman-White via email or 541-346-1609.
________________

Reusable Produce Container Program Receives Grant
Clackamas County Solid Waste and Recycling has given a small grant to support the launch of a pilot reusable produce container program between New Seasons Markets, Organically Grown Company, and local farms. This summer Siri and Son Farms, a certified organic fourth generation family farm situated on180 acres located near Damascus, Oregon is packing radish, spinach, broccoli, cilantro, green onions, and lettuce bound for New Seasons Markets in reusable containers as an alternative to the throw away waxed boxes the produce industry has become accustomed to. This pioneering project is part of the Portland area foods purveyors’ commitment to eliminate waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions in the delivery of food fresh from the farm to your table. “We are really happy to be able to partner with our local growers to further sustainable practices in our stores and at the farms we buy from. This reusable container program has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of cardboard used for transporting produce and will lead to reduced consumption of our natural resources, including cutting down less trees for virgin paper and keeping more product from going into the landfill”, says Jeff Fairchild, Produce Director at New Seasons Market. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to create a sustainable food distribution system by finding ways to ‘close the loops’ by reusing rather than throwing away materials. “We see this program having a positive outcome for everybody”, says Joe Siri from Siri and Son Farms.In a lifecycle assessment the average reusable container application creates 95% less total solid waste, generates 29% less total greenhouse gas emissions, and requires 39% less total energy than common corrugated boxes. Both Europe and Japan have widely and successfully employed reusable containers as part of their country’s aggressive waste reduction efforts. The Portland area effort is expected to have eliminated approximately 8,000-waxed boxes from the disposal stream this past summer alone. The hope is that this pilot project will pave the way for more wide spread implementation of sustainable practices with other Northwest farms and retailers.
________________

Upcoming Events
Agricultural Plastic Recycling in British Columbia
Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007, 9:00am-12:30pm
Ramada Plaza & Conference Centre, 36035 North Parallel Road, Abbotsford, BC

In response to a number of enquiries by agricultural producer organizations, the BC Agriculture Council's Agriculture Environment Initiatives Management Committee is inviting you to attend a seminar to provide an overview of the AEI Agricultural Plastic Recycling Pilot Projects and the opportunities for collecting, packaging and recycling agricultural plastics.

Registration is required and free; limited to 80 participants. Email or call Susan at 250-763-9790 for more information and to register.

The first guide on Sustainable Transportation which covered alternative fuels, power systems and improving fleet utilization was completed in January 2007. The second guide on Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Opportunities for Food Businesses, was completed in August 2007.
________________

FTSL Initiates Sustainability Practices Forum in the Organic Trade Association
In July, Member businesses of the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Initiative established a “Sustainability Practices” Member Forum in the Organic Trade Association (OTA). Natalie Retiman-White has volunteered to serve as this OTA Forum’s facilitator. The expectation is that this latest OTA Forum will bring new organic businesses into the movement of organizations pursuing sustainable practices. In addition, the forum will provide a convenient means for OTA member organizations to exchange ideas and information. OTA is pleased to launch this member community for the discussion of ideas and challenges related to "sustainable" business practices, such as ways to transition to renewable energy in facilities and transport, increase efficiency in operations, reduce solid waste generation, employ green packaging options, measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and more. E-mail membership@ota.com to learn more or to sign-up for the Forum's e-mail based list serve.
________________

CF Fresh Goes Greener with Solar
CF Fresh, a respected leader in the organic produce community, announced in August the addition of a 25 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system to their company headquarters in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. The new system is expected to supply approximately 70% of the company’s annual electricity needs, as well as reduce CO2 emissions by 24 metric tons annually.

Steve Mackey, CF Fresh Controller and Director of Finance, who led the project, said “CF Fresh employees are on the look-out for practical ways to reduce the impact of our day-to-day activities. We do the “common” things like recycling our cans and bottles and buying recycled paper; and we have even started composting our lunch-room garbage. The investment in solar electric is just another way we are working to reach a sustainable level of resource consumption within our operations.”

Mackey says he was skeptical at first, but after investigating solar electric he found that a PV system was a smart investment. “With the federal tax credits and other incentives the solar panels are not just for show and marketing; they actually make good financial sense.”

Roger Wechsler, CF Fresh, President, commented, “I’ve been wanting to do solar for a long time, but never found a cost effective and affordable way to do it. With current incentives the dollar payback is reasonable, but more importantly, the environmental benefit is appreciable. Our business model is dependent on entirely too much fossil fuel consumption. With solar electric we are reducing our dependence in a small but significant way.”

The rooftop installation consists of 130 Sanyo HIP 195 solar panels and four SunnyBoy 6000 inverters. CF Fresh contracted with Fire Mountain Solar of Mount Vernon, Washington, because Mackey felt, “They went beyond what I would expect a solar contractor would do to help us get the installation done efficiently.”

Even with this contribution toward more sustainability, the solar installation is not seen as the culmination of their efforts. CF Fresh is in the process of having an energy audit performed to upgrade and reduce the amount of power used in office lighting. Maureen Royal, Director of Sales, for CF Fresh stated, “We recognize that there is still much work to be done, and we will continue looking for more ways to reduce our environmental impact.”

For more about Fire Mountain Solar contact Alana Nelson (360) 422-5610.
(Press Release from Fire Mountain Solar at www.firemountainsolar.com)
________________

PCC Natural Markets discontinues plastic shopping bags
Seattle, Wash., August 22, 2007 — PCC Natural Markets (PCC) will stop using plastic shopping bags on October 1. PCC will enhance its current program to encourage shoppers to reuse their own bags by offering its selection of reusable totes at cost, while continuing to provide paper bags at no charge.

According to Tracy Wolpert, CEO, "While this decision to eliminate plastic shopping bags will entail some additional cost, it's simply the right thing to do. We have studied the environmental impact of paper versus plastic and believe that paper is the more sustainable choice, while bag reuse is the best choice of all."

PCC has long incorporated sustainable practices in its operations, building practices and long-term mission. The elimination of plastic shopping bags is a major initiative, but PCC will continue to research other opportunities for incorporating sustainable packaging and supplies into the operation of its eight stores. It looks forward to encouraging other retailers, the City of Seattle, and Washington state to take action to reduce the burden on human and environmental health posed by plastic bags.

The city of San Francisco enacted a ban against plastic shopping bags in April. Several other cities, including Seattle, Boston, Baltimore, Oakland, Portland (OR), Santa Monica, and Steamboat Springs, are considering action to reduce or eliminate plastic shopping bags.

About PCC Natural Markets: Headquartered in Seattle, Wash., PCC Natural Markets is a certified organic retail cooperative with annual sales of $110 million and an active membership of nearly 40,000 households. PCC operates eight stores in the Seward Park, View Ridge, Greenlake, West Seattle, Fremont, Kirkland, Redmond, and Issaquah neighborhoods of King County, Wash.
(Press Release from PC Natural Markets: Newsroom at www.pccnaturalmarkets.com)

The first guide on Sustainable Transportation which covered alternative fuels, power systems and improving fleet utilization was completed in January 2007. The third in the series on Food Packaging and Sustainable Alternatives will be available in September.
________________

FTSL Sponsorship and Member Opportunities
Please consider becoming a supporting business member and a sponsor of the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Initiative for 2007. By participating, your company will learn valuable tools to transition to more sustainable business practices and make connections with others in the industry that are moving the same direction. For more information, download our Sponsorship Opportunities schedule that describes the different levels of sponsorship and what you'll receive in return for your tax-deductible contribution.
________________

Organic and Beyond: Benchmarking Sustainable Business Practices
at the 2007 Provender Alliance Conference, Oct 3-5, 2007, Vancouver, WA
The unprecedented scale and speed of global climate change combined with rising energy inputs continues to present new challenges for business. Businesses are looking for ways to increase resource efficiency, transition to renewable resources, show leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and more. At the same time consumers are increasingly looking to business to address issues such as climate change, fair trade, the use of non-renewable resources, and more. Come learn about a movement underway in the natural food trade to develop sustainability benchmarking criteria whereby participating companies:

• commit to a certain amount of transparency around their practices,
• agree to continual improvement year after year,
• participate in a recognition system, and
• become part of a learning community.

Help us draft this starting-point for a dynamic participatory statement of the industry’s vision of and commitment to sustainability.

To register, contact the Provender Alliance or call them at 888.352.7431 or 503.859.3600

July 2007

Advisory Group Members:

David Lively - Organically Grown Company
Maureen Royal - CF Fresh
Bu Nygrens - Veritable Vegetable
Philip Ostrom - New Harvest
Gunta Vitins - ProOrganics
Greg Steltenpohl - Adina World
Trudy Bialic - PCC Natural Markets
Todd Linsky - Cal Organic
Jason Freeman - Farmer Direct Co-op
Cecil Wright - Organic Valley
Joyti Stephens - Nature’s Path
Prudence Ferreira - Amy’s Kitchen
Marina Pace Jacob’s - Farm/DelCabo
Patrick Stewart - Earl’s Organic
Nathan Morr - Beta Pure Foods

Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Action Items for 2008:

• Continue to organize FTSL Advisory Meetings at food trade shows and conferences.
• Pursue opportunities to partner with existing organizations to move the sustainability agenda forward.
• Continue to organize workshops on the substantive sustainability issues faced by food businesses to be presented at trade shows and conferences.
• Further develop the Declaration of Sustainability into an official sign-on process whereby participating companies commit to a certain amount of transparency around their practices, agree to continual improvement year after year, participate in a recognition system, and receive tools/advice to support their change internal efforts.
  

For more information contact Natalie Reitman-White, FTSL program coordinator.

International Panel on Climate Change Scenarios Explored by Natural Food Trade
Surprising results emerged from the “Sustainability in the Supply Chain” forum held at Natural Products Expo West. Participants used scenario-building to address how we can raise the bar in the natural foods industry by looking at sustainable business models that take us to “organic and beyond.” Forum discussion focused on four “carbon and sustainability constraint” scenarios that are variations of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios:
    1. Globalization (“Wal-martization”)
    2. Global Warming: Increased policy regulation and constraint
    3. Rising Energy and Input Costs: Resource scarcity, division and breakdown
    4. Push Toward Sustainability and Local Focus

Participants reviewed the key characteristics of each scenario and then identified potential impacts that each presented for the natural and organic foods trade. What options exist to prepare for these scenarios? What approaches could we use to maintain production base, supply chains, profitability, market share, etc., if each scenario came true?

For more information from the Cooperative Grocer's Association see...

Food Transportation Challenges and Renewable Fuels Forum was a Great Success!

“We were given information which we could actually use to benefit the environment and our company.”

“Getting together with other like-minded people in a similar business was great. Establishing contacts to discuss common problems was very useful. I found the networking aspect very constructive.”

“I learned about the $$$ that can be saved by increased truck efficiency and alternative fuels!”

January 25, 2007—Organic produce wholesalers, distributors, growers, and retailers gathered to learn about ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to transition to renewable fuel sources in their medium and heavy duty trucks. Currently the food distribution system remains largely dependent on conventional mode of transportation. This continued dependence on fossil fuels poses many threats to the food trade from being hit with price spikes to contributing to global warming. The workshop explored two main topic areas:1)alternative fuels and power systems—hybrid truck technology, spectrum of bio based fuels; 2)improving existing fleet efficiency—aerodynamics, idle reduction, increasing routing efficiency).  Participants discussed the benefits and drawbacks of various technologies with experts in the trucking field including staff from the West Coast Collaborative of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resource Defense Council, the Hybrid Truck Users forum, Rock Mountain Biodiesel Consulting, the National Highway Demonstration, and former National Renewable Energy Laboratory staff.  Leading food companies who have undertaken various measures to shared their experiences. Following the workshop participants took part in a 1.5 hour forum on how the food trade can continue to collaborate and move the sustainability agenda forward.

March 9, 2007 — The National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), a business services co-op with more than 100 independent food co-op members nationwide, is hosting “Sustainability in the Produce Supply Chain Forum” at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim , Calif. on Friday, March 9 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The forum, which is part of the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Initiative organized by the University of Oregon ’s Resource Innovations, will bring together various parties in the produce supply chain to discuss how these parties and cooperative grocers can transition toward a more sustainable food distribution model. The event will be held at the Anaheim Hilton, 777 Convention Way , in the San Simeon Room A/B.

“As pioneers in the natural and organic food industry, food cooperatives are always striving to innovate ways of doing business that raise the bar for the entire organic marketplace,” said Robynn Shrader, chief executive officer for NCGA. “We expect the forum to generate lively, thought-provoking and productive conversation that drives forward this essential initiative.

Hundreds Met to Discuss Food Packaging and Sustainable Alternatives

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Power Workshops Inspire Participants

March 16, 2007—The food distribution system is principally reliant on polluting and non-renewable sources of energy, this continued dependence on conventional sources of energy poses many threats to the food trade from being hit with energy price spikes to contributing to global warming.  This month dozens of natural and organic food businesses met to discuss how to increase energy efficiency in their operations and transition to non polluting renewable energy sources. Speakers included Charlie Stephens of Adjuvant Consulting, Mark Kendall Senior Policy Analyst at the Oregon Department of Energy, Mark Hamilton a Principal at Strategic Energy Group, Alan Hickenbottom the Director Commercial and Industrial Division Energy Outfitters, Jaimes Valdez the Renewable Energy Outreach Coordinator for the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and Jonathan Lewis is the President and founder of Seraphim Energy. Hamilton and Kendall shared energy efficiency measures business can employ in lighting, heating and cooling, industrial refrigerators, warehouses and other buildings.  Hickenbottom and Lewis focused on on-site solar and small wind power opportunities including the financial incentives and grants to make these investments pencil out. Finally, Valdez discussed how carbon-emissions offset programs can be used to mitigate negative carbon impacts of current energy use.