Sourcing Sustainably – Challenges and Opportunities

Bring Food HomeNovember 17, 2013

Claudia SchmidtSenior Research Associate

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Background

• Number of sustainability certifications/initiatives increases – Whole farm certification – Commodity specific – Attribute specific– Customer developed

• Increasing demands by retailers and manufacturers (McCain, Unilever, Tesco etc.)

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Recent Reports

Recent studies: • Retailer/Manufacturer interviews • Review of sustainability initiatives • Farmer focus groups

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Presentation

Trends Challenges Next Steps

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EU

• Europe – Market leader in sustainability?• Retailers/manufacturers drive agenda• Germany – Organic agriculture– Whole farm sustainability schemes – Uptake – Market demand

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Canada

• Early phase • Respond in anticipation of customer demand • Nice to have vs. must have?• “Made in Ontario” commodity sustainability

certification program

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• Grain Farmers of Ontario • Pulse Canada • Grains Roundtable – Sustainability Working Group• Dairy Farmers of Canada • Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef • Canola Council of Canada• Local Food Plus • Environmental Farm Plan• …

Canada

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Challenges – Producer’s view

Confusion around three pillars of sustainability

• Environmental• Social • Economic

Cost of certification

• Audit• Record keeping• Multiple programs

Change in requests

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Challenges

• Not a competition free space • Performance measurement of

initiatives/certifications

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What about EFP?Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is a farmer-developed educational tool to understand on-farm environmental improvements.

• Addendum • Advantages: – Accepted, known in farm community

• Disadvantages– Unknown outside of farm community– Uptake in ON vs Western Canada– Update expectations– Additions: animal welfare, labour standards

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What is Next?

Goal: reduce costs

•To protect market access and increase adoption of sustainable practices

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Funding

Investment in this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP). In Ontario, this program is delivered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council.

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Thank you

Claudia@georgemorris.org