Certified Greenhouse Farmers and SureHarvest have begun collaboration on a next generation sustainability certification platform based on the principles of performance metrics, technology innovation, continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement.
SureHarvest CEO Dr. Jeff Dlott says it will be the first comprehensive performance-based system in agriculture.
“Greenhouse farmers have been on the cutting edge of farming innovations including using information technologies to measure and manage growing conditions, resource use, quality and yields,” said Dlott. “ This sector is ideally suited to lead the transformation of sustainability certifications from indicators of performance to actual performance such asnutrient use efficiency.”
The initial focus will be on developing environmental metrics — including water, energy and nutrient use efficiencies — that support the organization’s definition, and are scalable for various sized growers who have a shared commitment to greenhouse growing.
“This investment reflects our commitment to continuous improvement —optimizing our value to society and our use of resources to produce the ‘best of the best’ in terms of quality, food safety and environmental performance,” said Ed Beckman, Certified Greenhouse Farmers president.
SureHarvest will collaborate with third party stakeholders to understand their sustainability priorities and validate process areas the certification standard will cover.
“We’re taking our certification system to the next level in a transparent, collaborative process with buyers and NGOs,” Beckman said.
Certified Greenhouse Farmers’ mission is to protect the integrity of the greenhouse growing process. Comprised of Houwelings Tomatoes, NatureFresh, Village Farms and Windset Farms and their farmer networks, the organization is the voice of Certified Greenhouse growers, and educates trade and consumer audiences about the value of Certified Greenhouse products. Through its rigorous audits and controls, Certified Greenhouse Farmers produces the “best of the best” in consistent product quality, food safety and environmental performance. For more information, visit CertifiedGreenhouse.org
SureHarvest is an agrifood sustainability solutions company delivering practical strategies, proven technologies, and exceptional services to accelerate agrifood financial, environmental and social progress. The company served as the program architect and spearheaded implementation of leading sustainability initiatives including the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program and California Almond Sustainability Program. SureHarvest co-founded the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops, a multi-stakeholder effort to develop sustainability performance metrics for the fruit, vegetable, and nut sector.
