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“SureHarvest can talk both grower-speak and environmental-speak. And be credible. The SureHarvest team understands that at the end of the day, the bottom line is the most important thing for growers.”
– Gabriele Ludwig, Almond Board of California
SureHarvest delivers the latest insight and market intelligence through strategic planning, trends analysis and survey research to position clients for emerging market opportunities.
California Sustainable Winegrowing Program
Beginning in 2001, SureHarvest led the California wine industry, organized as the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, through a comprehensive process of creating a sustainability program that has won the California wine industry recognition as a national leader in agricultural sustainability. SureHarvest continues to support the Alliance’s California Sustainable Winegrowing Program (SWP) through new activities, including leading the development of customized performance metrics to track industry performance in key areas such as greenhouse gas emissions and energy and water use. Metrics information and calculators are being integrated into a user friendly and educational online sustainability portal. For Sustainable Winegrowing Program participants, metrics results will be transferred from the portal to the SWP online system for aligning with practice-based assessments and for individual and industry wide reporting. Moreover, SureHarvest also is adapting the SWP online system to accommodate its Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing certification and is helping design and implement targeted education based on areas of need determined from regional analyses of grower and vintner self-assessment data.
California Almond Sustainability Program
 With a strategic vision, the growers of this high-value crop wanted to be proactive on air and water quality issues to be ahead of regulatory and market drivers. In 2010, SureHarvest built self-assessment modules for water and nutrient management in almonds. With successful pilots among 100 growers so far, the self-assessment will expand to include air quality, energy efficiency and pest management in 2011. Grower workshops are scheduled throughout 2011. Find out more information from the Almond Board of California. Read about the progress of CASP:
Stewardship Index for Speciality Crops
The Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops is an initiative to develop a system for measuring, benchmarking and comparing sustainable performance throughout the specialty crop supply chain. A 30-member Coordinating Council made up of farmers, buyers, NGO’s, trade associations and additional experts governs the effort. Starting in 2009, a Metrics Review Committee consisting of more than 500 stakeholders began drafting a set of metrics. The draft metrics underwent an initial round of pilot testing on farms and real-world supply chain situations in 2010: energy, greenhouse gases, air quality, pesticides, water use, soil, nutrient and water quality, biodiversity, and waste. This initial pilot phase is being supported through a NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant through March 2011.
California Pear Industry Sustainability Program
SureHarves t Professional Services was commissioned by the California Pear Advisory Board and the Pear Pest Management Research Fund to conduct a survey of California pear growers from June - November 2009 to assess farming practices according to best management practices for sustainability performance. SureHarvest surveyed 56 growers representing 71% of the industry. The survey found a large majority employing integrated pest management practices, conservative applications of fertilizer and a high use of cover crops to conserve soil. The study also highlighted areas for improvement providing the industry with a benchmark to focus on continuous improvement. The California pear industry has taken a proactive approach to meeting the sustainability challenge of both the fresh and processed markets head on.
Download the California Pear Sustainability Practices Survey report.
California Multi-Commodity Sustainability Initiative
SureHarvest is leading the development of a sustainability program for twelve specialty crop commodities, including the development of a sustainable strategic plan, selection of an education/outreach model, and an agreed upon sustainability practice and performance metrics framework. The Leadership Team for the project created a draft strategic plan and selected the model for the self-assessment tool to be used in education/outreach. The collaborative team is now developing the practice and performance metrics framework. SureHarvest received funding from a CDFA Specialty Crops Block grant for the next three years to create a self-assessment workbook, convene grower self-assessment workshops, benchmark important practices and performance, and track progress against them.
Hazelnut Sustainability Program Needs Assessment
 SureHarvest conducted a needs assessment and strategic planning effort for a collaborative effort between the Hazelnut Marketing Board and Oregon Hazelnut Commission. This involved conducting a survey of growers and stakeholders to test interest in designing a hazelnut sustainability program and explore potential targets and program elements. With affirmative results, a team is proceeding to work with SureHarvest to develop self-assessment modules on pest managment and soil management.
California Cut Flower Commission
SureHarvest is surveying Commission members to assess the level of sustainability in their floriculture practices. The team is also mapping the similarities and differences of the various floriculture sustainable certification programs available to Commission members to determine if certification would be beneficial to them and if so, what program would be the best in which to participate or is it necessary to develop one of their own. SureHarvest is also determining the carbon footprint of shipping flower from South America by air to markets in the US and comparing it to the carbon footprint of transporting California-grown flowers to US markets.
Environmental Defense Fund
SureHarvest completed an analysis for Environmental Defense Fund regarding the U.S. supply of chemical fertilizers, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Specifically, the analysis addressed each segment of the value chain including, manufacturing/production, import, distribution, retail, advisor relationships, and farmer. The resulting report examined these segments and the surrounding environmental, economic, and other social and marketplace issues and identified leverage points for EDF to partner with fertilizer companies and industry associations to address the impact that fertilizer has on society.
Creating Economic Incentives
Because profitability is the foundation to sustainability, SureHarvest is working with several clients to investigate and bring to market opportunities to link environmental stewardship to economic rewards. These could include facilitated access to nutrient trading programs and cost-share assistance programs, favorable bank loans, reduced insurance rates, and premium prices based on environmentally-friendly labeled products.
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