Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1187394
AROUND THE WORLD 16 of money into financial products that use a 'sustainable, responsible, and impact' lens." Dariela Roffe-Rackind, director of Europe and Global Public Relations at the Almond Board, has watched this transition taking place over the past decade. "When I joined the Almond Board 10 years ago, we weren't having these conversations," says Roffe-Rackind. "Today, without fail, sustainability plays a key part in every conversation we have with a manufacturer or retailer and there usually is a sustainability officer joining the conversation." Based on these conversations, Roffe-Rackind says sustainability is becoming the norm — the cost of doing business — and will only grow in importance. "Having a program assessed by SAI is a huge step forward for us," says Roffe-Rackind. "Benchmarking to SAI gold is hugely respected by trade. We can now go into meetings with the companies and have fact-based conversations with their sustainability officer based on data the CASP program provides." Harbinder Maan, who heads up the Almond Board's Trade Marketing and Stewardship Program, explains that the sustainability officer role often sits alongside procurement at large consumer products companies and is charged with conducting risk assessments on ingredients, like almonds, to ensure sustainability of supply. Manufacturers are listening to consumers and then looking at their ingredient portfolios as part of their sustainability story. "The fact that most of the world's almonds come from one place — California — plays to our advantage," said Maan. "And the fact that we are writing stuff down is more than a lot of commodity ingredients are doing." Leaving room for dessert According to Gabriele Ludwig, PhD, director of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs at the Almond Board, the CASP program has helped her have conversations with regulatory officials around the world but will be even more valuable in the future. "Simply being able to talk about having a self-assessment program makes regulators realize that almonds are trying to be a part of the solution," said Ludwig. "And we have used the data to confirm or contradict assumptions about almond growing practices regulators make." "I can't honestly say we've headed off any regulations, but we are often asked to be at the table. The fact that we have CASP, and do research, give us more credibility." As a case in point, Ludwig was recently appointed to the new Chlorpyrifos Alternatives Work Group established by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation "to identify, evaluate and recommend safer, sustainable pest management solutions that can replace the pesticide chlorpyrifos." Similarly, the Almond Board is being asked to participate in discussions on sustainability with food producing companies. So much of this is being at the table. Ludwig said 10 years into the California almond sustainability journey, we are finally "blooming" but in order for the industry to realize the full potential of CASP, growers have to be willing to document their practices every three years or so. "CASP is helping California almond growers get credit for what they have been doing for generations — growing a healthy, sustainable crop that is supporting communities throughout the state," said Ludwig. The CASP program now includes an FSA filter that allows growers to generate a report to see where they already meet, and where they may need to improve practices to meet, SAI bronze, silver or gold. In turn, growers can opt to share that data with their handler — aggregated with other grower data to ensure anonymity — to allow them to build reports and efficiently respond to multiple requests for information on sustainability practices from their customers. "The biggest behavior change we are asking is to write down what you are already doing." said Ludwig. "But don't forget that the primary purpose is educational. It's hard to see patterns over time if you don't document your practices. You must measure to manage." For more information on CASP and the Supply Chain Pilot Project, contact SureHarvest at (831) 477-7797, and join the journey to make life better by what we grow and how we grow. This past June, Ludwig and former ABC staff Spencer Cooper presented on the California Almond Sustainability Program and the Almond Irrigation Improvement Continuum at the SAI Platform Annual Event in Chicago.