Food sustainability challenging for food industry, customers

Madison, Wis. (Jan. 15, 2016) — Sustainability remains a hot-button issue in the food industry, with customers demanding it but not always sure of what it means.

Farmers, academics, environmentalists, dieticians and others explored the complex issue Thursday, Jan. 14, as part of “Food Dialogues,” a national initiative that facilitates a broad and ongoing discussion about where food comes from.

The program is spearheaded by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. The panel took place the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center during Dairy Strong 2016: Partners in Progress, an annual conference of the Dairy Business Association that drew more than 600 farmers and representatives from dairy-related businesses.

For farmers, sustainability means passing on the business to the next generation; to retailers, it’s giving customers what they want, said Steve Peterson, former director of sourcing sustainability at General Mills.

“(Sustainability is) different depending on your perspective and that’s OK,” he said.

Michelle Miller, associate director of the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said interest in regional agriculture is increasing. “I work with farmers who sell at farmers’ markets and they enjoy having that dialogue with customers,” she said.

That’s something Greg Zwald, co-owner of White Pine Berry Farm in River Falls, Wis., enjoys. He has eight acres of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, currants and asparagus and received certified organic designation in 2015.

“When customers come out to the farm, we talk to them and hear what they have to say and what they’re looking for,” Zwald said. “It takes more time and effort to be certified organic, and we did it because there’s a market for it.”

What customers crave most is a connection to farmers, said Lauren Lindsley, dietician manager for Skogen’s Festival Foods, which has 21 grocery stores in Wisconsin. Festival representatives visit farms that supply the chain with produce, such as apples, and then create videos for customers to see in stores and on social media.

“We’ve gotten great feedback from that,” Lindsley said. “Consumers have a lot of misconceptions. For example, they think nutrition and sustainability are the same thing. Something could be termed sustainable, but not be nutritious.”

It is essential to educate the non-ag community, said Kim Kroll, owner of Rolling Hills Dairy, a large-scale multigenerational farm in Luxemburg, Wis. Kroll frequently visits schools to talk to children about what happens on dairy farms.

“You go into a classroom and ask kids where food comes from and they say ‘grocery store.’ We tell them about how it begins at the farm and how we care for the animals on the farm,” Kroll said. “It really builds understanding and we hope they take that home to their families.”

Jude Capper, a livestock sustainability consultant based in the United Kingdom, said data shows that today’s modern farms have a smaller carbon footprint than farms in the 1940s.

“The Internet is a great tool for people to get information, but it’s also full of a lot of bad information,” Capper said. “While we have good data about sustainability, fear trumps data.”

Peterson pointed out that millennials are driving a demand for more sustainable, locally produced food. At the same time, growing demand from the exploding world population will require more technological advancements, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

GMOs are controversial even in the context of sustainability, said Steve Richter, director of conservation programs for The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin.

“There are so many misconceptions out there and to get through them I think the big food companies who are part of the ag food supply chain … need to get involved and help tell the story of what’s happening on today’s farms,” Richter said. “By telling our stories, we can connect more closely with consumers.”

About the DBA:

The Dairy Business Association is a nonprofit organization comprised of Wisconsin dairy farmers, milk processors, vendors and business partners. Founded in 1999 to reinvigorate the state’s dairy community, DBA’s members work together to guarantee Wisconsin’s dairy farmers – both large and small – have support they need to thrive in the state’s economy, communities and food chain. For more information, visit widba.com.

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