A Guide to Sustainability Certifications for the Fresh Produce Industry
At this point, everyone in the produce industry has been asked: What are you doing about sustainability? This question may present itself in many forms: surveys, retailer sourcing policies, and even ESG disclosures. One way to satisfy these sustainability questions and requirements is through sustainability certifications. But what is a sustainability certification?
Understanding Sustainability Certifications
Many produce companies will be familiar with certifications and audits through their food safety department. As with food safety, a sustainability certification includes an audit (an assessment by a third party against a set of criteria known as a standard). In this case, instead of addressing food safety concerns, sustainability certifications are focused on water, soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, packaging, or other sustainability topics.
What makes things difficult is that, unlike food safety, sustainability certifications have not been “harmonized”; they do not cover a consistent set of requirements and are not always interchangeable between retailers or other buyers.
There are a variety of sustainability certifications to choose from. Some lean more towards environmental topics, while others primarily address social topics. Some certifications are more focused (such as those that emphasize pollinator habitat), while others take a more holistic approach, covering multiple topics at once. Each company must determine which certification will provide the greatest benefit.
Benefits of Obtaining a Sustainability Certification
Sustainability certifications can help your business in a variety of ways. They allow a company to articulate their sustainability accomplishments, and to do so in a way that consumers can trust.
Harvard Business Review cites trust as a key element of consumer behavior, particularly for younger consumers; sustainability, it says, is one way of promoting trust. Obtaining a certification allows for clear communication, with a third-party validating credibility. and a higher level of trust between your organization, your customers, and, ultimately, your consumers.
Some companies can also use these certifications to demonstrate that they meet the requirements of produce retailers and other buyers. Many retailers maintain a list of certifications that they will accept from their produce suppliers to demonstrate that they meet a set of sustainability requirements (Need an example? Read more about one such requirement here.)
Certification also helps companies learn more about their business. By examining their practices and outcomes closely, companies can identify strengths and weaknesses they may not have previously been aware of, each with their own sustainability and financial implications. MTI knows this first-hand; we completed our own journey to become a B-Corp in 2023.
What is the Best Sustainability Certification?
Short answer: it depends! There is no one-size-fits-all certification for all things sustainability. A big part of identifying what certification your company should tackle depends on where you want to focus your sustainability efforts. Determining your area of focus will help you narrow down your options.
With that said, there are a few certifications that pertain to and are quite popular within the fresh produce industry:
The Certification Process
The general certification process can be summarized in this 6-step process:
Select your certification
Gather your required documentation
Schedule your audit
Conduct a mock audit
Hold your audit
Maintain your certification
Want support in obtaining a sustainability certification? Measure to Improve is here to help!
How Measure to Improve Can Help
Measure to Improve has expertise in working with companies through the entire process of sustainability certifications.
We can guide you through the six-step process, empowering you at every step. Measure to Improve will work with you to assess your company's needs and match them with recommendations to help you attain your goals.
By partnering with Measure to Improve, you will receive ongoing support from our team of experts, guidance through the often-daunting preparation and audit process, and a completed Sustainability Plan describing your operation’s progress and opportunities. Clients receive copies of every document used during the audit preparation process, organized to support ongoing program maintenance and preparedness for future audits.
Learn more or inquire about our Sustainability Certification Support or other sustainability services or reach out to us at hello@measuretoimprovellc.com
