California Giant Berry Farms and Measure to Improve, LLC announced the Sustainably Grown certification of Satsuma Farms, strategic strawberry grower-partner for California Giant, under the rigorous standard of SCS Global Services. Satsuma Farms, located in Watsonville, California, is the first strawberry operation in the world to achieve this prestigious certification.
Together, California Giant and MTI worked to determine which sustainability certification best met the needs of the company’s growers, ultimately selecting Sustainably Grown. This comprehensive standard uses a triple bottom line approach, addressing issues related to social, environmental and economic sustainability, and mirrors California Giant’s own People, Planet, Product model. Joe Barsi, President of California Giant, recognizes the importance of this alignment, “Sustainably Grown is a challenging certification, but it was the best one for California Giant because it aligns with our own long-term approach to sustainability. This certification reflects our commitment to treating the environment and the people involved in our supply chain right.”
Recent years have shown a marked increase in buyer and consumer interest in produce grown sustainably, with emphasis on equitable social practices. Rich Uto, owner of Satsuma Farms, sees the importance of addressing sustainability in the near-term, saying “Food safety requirements expanded rapidly over a short period of time. Sustainability is the next step for growers. We live differently now, and we need to do things differently. There’s no time to waste – just make the time and get it done.”
With MTI’s support, California Giant launched a pilot certification project at Satsuma Farms, who leases land from California Giant, in 2018. MTI provided hands-on guidance at Satsuma Farms for the duration of the pilot, which culminated in this landmark certification in August 2020. Kevin Warner, Manager, Sustainable Agriculture at SCS, was impressed by the dedication and success of the pilot, noting that “Rich Uto and his team at Satsuma Farms did a great job on their Sustainably Grown certification audit. Satsuma Farms exceeded our expectations in meeting the stringent requirements of our standard. Working with Measure to Improve expedited the audit, saving time and money for the client, and ensuring a smooth process in certifying the world’s first Sustainably Grown certified strawberries.”
California Giant has no plans to slow their sustainability plans, despite the pandemic. The company will continue working with MTI to roll the certification program out to more of their growers over the next few years. Certification is an investment. “Sustainability certifications provide third-party verification and an easily recognized seal of approval that helps organizations effectively market their social, environmental, and ethical responsibility while avoiding the pitfalls of greenwashing”, said Nikki Cossio, CEO and Founder of Measure to Improve. “Certification is a worthwhile investment if it aligns with your business values and your customer’s values.”
For more information:
Nikki Cossio
Measure to Improve
Tel: +1 (831) 594-7972
Email: nikki@measuretoimprovellc.com
www.measuretoimprovellc.com
Kyla Oberman
California Giant Berry Farms
Tel: +1 (831) 247-4386
Email: koberman@calgiant.com
www.calgiant.com