• Consumption & Nutrition
• Food Safety
• Food Security
• Growing and Production
• Immigration Reform
• Country of Origin Labeling
• Packaging
• Sustainability
• Transportation

• Government Relations Homepage
• Government Advocacy (GROW)

Issues: Sustainability

Contents

• PMA's Approach to Sustainability/Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops
• Sustainability at Fresh Summit
• Sustainability Resources Available from PMA
• A Call for Your Sustainability Videos
• Sustainability Stories
• External Sustainability Resources

PMA's Approach to Sustainability/Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops

Sustainability, as a whole, is an issue gaining momentum in the eyes of consumers and the produce industry and PMA members are looking to the association for leadership on this emerging issue.

PMA has taken a holistic approach to sustainability. We are actively involved in efforts to develop sustainability metrics for our industry all the while monitoring what standard-setting groups are doing. We believe in three pillars of sustainability – planet (environment), people (social efforts), and prosperity (economic sustainability for companies).

PMA is a founding member of the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops, a multi-stakeholder initiative to develop a system for measuring sustainable performance throughout the specialty crop supply chain. The project will offer a suite of outcomes-based metrics to enable operators at any point along the supply chain to benchmark, compare, and communicate their performance. SISC does not seek to provide standards, but rather to provide a yard-stick for measuring sustainable outcomes. In the future, the project may also provide tools and resources to help specialty crop companies advance sustainability goals. Additional information is available at www.stewardshipindex.org.

Sustainability Actions at Fresh Summit

Discover the steps PMA and our convention partners took to ensure Fresh Summit 2008 in Orlando, FL was the most sustainable yet! Click HERE for more details. Or you can watch a brief video by clicking here.

PMA also provides information and education to members and is making significant internal efforts (at PMA headquarters and at the events we produce, such as Fresh Summit). During Fresh Summit 2008 in Orlando, PMA held a workshop titled "Saving Dollars and Making Sense of Sustainability." The Powerpoint Presentation for this session is available for viewing.

Back to Top

Sustainability Resources Available from PMA

Other sustainability resources available from PMA include:

• "Sustainability: Making It Work for You" Presentation from the 2008 PMA Foodservice Conference. Featuring Keith Masser, CEO, Sterman Masser Inc.; Marc Zammit, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability Initiatives, Compass Group North America; and PMA Vice President of Government Relations & Public Affairs Kathy Means.
• PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging - Sustainability. One of the sub-categories in the 2008 PMA Impact Award contest is sustainability. Winners will be announced October 25 during the Breakfast General Session at PMA's Fresh Summit 2008.
• "For Sterman Masser, sustainability is a way of building a life--and making a living." Article from PMA's Fresh Magazine on how one company is striving to live the sustainable way.
• Sustainability Consumer Research conducted May 2008 for PMA by Opinion Dynamics Corporation. Available to PMA members only.
• Social Responsibility Consumer Research conducted July 2007 for PMA by Opinion Dynamics Corporation. Available to PMA members only.

A Call for Your Sustainability Videos:

Do you have a digital video highlighting your company's sustainability efforts? If so, PMA would like to feature it here. Send us an e-mail and we'll be in touch with additional details.

**Interested in seeing what your fellow members have submitted? To date, we have videos from Stemilt Growers and Dole Food Company.

Back to Top

Share your sustainability stories

Companies in the produce industry all over the world are striving to implement and strengthen their sustainability initiatives. Read what some companies are doing to meet their sustainability goals. Is your company implementing sustainable practices? Send us an e-mail and let us know!

• PMA's Internal Sustainability Efforts
• Four Season's Energy and Sustainability Strategy
• More to come!

External Sustainability Resources

There is a wide variety of sustainability resources available outside of PMA. Many organizations are striving to shape sustainability efforts and discussions. Below you will find a listing of some of the resources available for your review.

• Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops
• The Keystone Center
• Sustainable Packaging Coalition
• The Leonardo Academy
• The American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

**Please note that PMA does not necessarily endorse any of the above mentioned organizations or plans. This listing is for reference reasons only.

Back to Top