The United Fresh Produce Association has launched a new sustainability guide and self-assessment tool, in a bid to better assist US producers and partners in developing, assessing and communicating their sustainability programmes.
According to United Fresh, the guide is designed to assist producers in understanding four key areas of sustainability – stewardship of resources, environmental impacts, social accountability, and economic success/viability.
“For fruit and vegetable producers, we believe these four areas define the most important aspects of sustainability in our industry, and reflect areas where management can enhance sustainability and cost control,” said Ray Gilmer, vice-president of issues management & communication for United Fresh. “This sustainability guide and self-assessment can be a valuable tool for virtually any type of company in the produce industry.”
The tool also provides a means for producers to share their story about practices and processes that many already incorporate in their operations, United noted.
“United’s sustainability guide is not an audit, nor is it meant to become a requirement,' Gilmer emphasised. 'Instead, it is a tool that can be used to increase knowledge, track progress, and tell the story of our industry’s commitment to sustainability. The self-assessment process is entirely confidential; you only share your sustainability information if you want to.”
Additionally, the guide includes a companion metrics tool that highlights specific outcome measurements that producers can use to track results over time.
'Together, these two parts afford producers a tracking tool to combine a practice-based analysis of major steps they are taking in enhancing sustainability, with key, outcome-based information,' United said.
