Numbers suggest sustainability sells produce

The numbers show sustainability sells produce, said Andrew Mandzy, director of strategic insight with New York-based Nielsen, which tracks retail sales trends. “Many consumers are trying to be responsible citizens of the world, and they expect the same from corporations, so when it comes to purchasing, they are doing their homework,” Mandzy said. Before they make buying decisions, shoppers check labels, glean websites for business and manufacturing practices and pay attention to public opinion on specific brands in the news or on social media, he said. The industry is responding, but the direction of change isn’t always clear, grower-shippers say. “One of the most difficult things in terms of a comprehensive program continues to be the lack of clarity relative to our customers’ expectations,” said Eric Halverson, executive vice president of technology with Grand Forks, N.D.-based potato grower-shipper Black Gold Farms. More