Sustainability 101 Course

Sustainability 101: Coordinate & Communicate Sustainability Efforts

Dates Offered:

April 17, 18 & 23, 10 am – 1 pm PDT / 1 – 4 pm EDT – Registration Closed

May 15, 16 & 21, 10 am – 1 pm PDT / 1 – 4 pm EDT – Registration Closed

Choose the April or May course dates that work best for your team and register early to ensure time for pre-assessment work.

Cost:

$1,250 for up to three participants from a single company

Course Overview:

Fresh produce companies must measure and communicate sustainability efforts to their customers, yet key staff are often missing the foundational knowledge and tools to coordinate, measure and communicate effectively. This intensive, customized course will help teams design a sustainability roadmap based on industry trends and organizational priorities.

Course Description:

The three-day, online Zoom course will equip key staff from fresh produce grower-shippers with a strong foundational knowledge of sustainability concepts including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, natural resource management, energy use, and waste reduction, as well as tools to coordinate, measure, and communicate sustainability efforts both internally and externally to customers. Through dynamic, hands-on instruction methods, staff from participating companies will apply systems-thinking to design a sustainability roadmap for their company. The course begins and concludes with a 1-hour consultation for each participating company to help assess and put their learnings into practice.

Who Should Attend:

Key staff from fresh produce growers/packers involved in managing and/or reporting on environmental sustainability activities, including those responsible for compliance, sales, marketing, farm and operations managers, and agronomists.

Format:

Participants can expect 9 hours of live course instruction, followed by a 1 hour consultation with your team. Participants will receive educational resources and guidance to seek information about their organization and its sustainability efforts. Participants receive a certificate upon completion of the post-assessment.

(1) hour introductory call with your company prior to the course
(3) 3-hour live Zoom course: Wednesday & Thursday & following Tuesday
(1) hour individualized consultation to address your company’s specific challenges: Wednesday
Offline activities: Educational resources & company research
Individual pre- and post-assessment
EFI Certificate

Learning Outcomes:

Foundational understanding of environmental sustainability in the fresh produce industry.
Overview of fresh produce industry sustainability trends and dynamics.
Assessment of your company’s needs and priorities related to sustainability.
Roadmap for your company’s next steps, including the creation of a sustainability taskforce.
Knowledge of resources available for support (education, technical assistance, funding).

Topics:

Sustainable Agriculture Concepts 101: Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, nutrient and water management, IPM, carbon sequestration.
Sustainability tools and key performance indicators in the value-chain: Hot spots, life-cycle assessments, resource conservation, energy use, fertilizer and nutrients, biodiversity, food waste, packaging, and transportation.
Industry landscape and stakeholders: Growers, suppliers, retailers, consumers, certifiers, trade groups
Designing a sustainability roadmap and taskforce for field, greenhouse, and packhouses in the fresh produce industry.

Classroom Policies:

All sessions will be conducted in English.
1 laptop per participant required, camera recommended. No cell phones due to the interactive nature of the course.
Sessions will be recorded.
Courses are capped at 8 companies, with up to 3 representatives per company
All Individual participants will submit pre- and post-assessments to receive a completion certificate.