Introduction to SFTA and
Sustainability
Welcome to SFTA
The following presentation outlines what is SFTA
and the resources you can access with your
membership and why we focus on
sustainability.
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
History of the
Organization
Formation of the organization
2005 – Declaration of sustainability
2008 – Formation of FTSLA
2012 – Strategic name change
Importance of Sustainability SFTA follows 2 key frameworks
• Organic
• The Natural Step
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Mission
Build the capacity of the organic food trade to
transition to sustainable business models.
Vision:
To conduct our businesses in a way that meets the needs of
present generations without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs….We embrace the
challenge to move our operations and actions toward
sustainable models where the [activities] of the organic food
trade becomes consistent with the principles of sustainability.
Who we are
Staff
Katherine DiMatteo
Executive Director
Sandra Marquardt
Director of Communications
Lisa Spicka
Director of Education
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Who we are: Members
Amy’s Kitchen
Annie’s Inc
Andean Naturals
Ashland Food Cooperative
Awe Sum Organics
Bluff Country Co-op
Bridges Produce
Café Mam
Cascadian Farms / Muir Glen
Central Co-op
Chico Natural Foods Coop
Ciranda
Clif Bar
Community Food Coop
Earthbound Farm
The Food Coop Port
Townsend
Full Circle Farms
GloryBee Foods
Go Macro, LLC
Guayaki, Inc.
Hanover Consumer Coop
Heath and Lejeune
Hummingbird Wholesale
LifeSource Natural Foods
Lundberg Family Farms
MOM’s Organic Market
Nature’s Path Foods
New Pioneer Coop
Nielsen Massey Vanillas Inc
Organic Produce Warehouse
Organic Valley/CROPP
Cooperative
Organically Grown Company
Outpost Natural Food Coop
Pacific Natural Foods
PCC Natural Markets
So Delicious Dairy Free
Stonyfield Farm
Straus Family Creamery
Sundance Natural Foods
SunOpta Inc.
Timeless Seeds
Traditional Medicinals
VivaTierra
Wedge Co-op / Coop
Partners
Wholsum Family Farms
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Who we are
Associate Members & Friends
Homegrown Organic Farms
Organics Unlimited
Plum Organics
United Natural Foods Inc./Albert’s Organics
Global ID Group
Pure Strategies
Quality Assurance International
Sustainable Dynamics
WISErg Corporation
Wolf, DiMatteo + Associates
California Certified Organic Farmers
Independent Natural Food Retailers
Association
National Cooperative Grocers Assoc.
Oregon Tilth
Organic Trade Association
Provender Alliance
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
2014 Sponsors
Who we are
Board of Directors
Shauna Sadowski – Annie’s Inc. (President)
Cecil Wright, Organic Valley (Vice President)
Jason Boyce, Nature’s Path Foods (Treasurer)
Brionne Saseen, Chico Natural Foods(Secretary)
Diana Chapman, PCC Natural Markets
Peter Golbitz, SunOpta
Britt Lundgren, Stonyfield Farm
Hansel New, SoDelicious Dairy Free
Jim Pierce, Oregon Tilth
Isabelle Reining, Straus Family Creamery
Natalie Reitman-White, Organically Grown Company
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Educate &
Communicate
Metrics &
Reporting
Connect with
Experts
Shared
Solutions
Declaration Areas
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Organics
Climate change
Energy
Distribution and sourcing
Labor
Packaging
Water
Waste
Animal care
Education
Governance
Defining what achieving
sustainability would look
like.
Creating a clear framework
for businesses to report
progress
Inspiring action by making a
public commitment.
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
SFTA Member
Resources
Member Center – Access Toolkits, other member reports, archived webinars
and reporting tools.
SFTA Forum – Online social networking site that connects all SFTA members in
discussions about various Sustainability topics
Webinars – Free for all SFTA members, topics vary each month related to
sustainability for the organic food trade
Workshops – Discounts for SFTA members – topics range from Sustainability 101 to
Skills development for sustainability implementation
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Introduction to Sustainability
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Green vs. Sustainability
Green
Sustainability
•
Detail focused
•
Whole systems focus
•
Immediate Action
•
Strategic
•
Environment
•
•
Lacks common definition of
success
Triple bottom line (people,
profit, planet)
•
Capable of defining success
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Defining
Sustainability
It is important to have a clear definition of
sustainability so that all stakeholders know
what they are working towards.
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
How does your company define
sustainability?
Environmental
Economic
Social
To conduct our businesses in a way that meets the needs of
present generations without compromising the ability of
Sustainability
future generations to meet their
own needs….We embrace the
challenge to move our operations and actions toward
sustainable models where the [activities] of the organic food
trade becomes consistent with the principles of sustainability.
To conduct our businesses in a way that meets the needs of
present generations without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs….We embrace the
challenge to move our operations and actions toward
sustainable models where the [activities] of the organic food
trade becomes consistent with the principles of sustainability.
To conduct our businesses in a way that meets the needs of
present generations without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs….We embrace the
challenge to move our operations and actions toward
sustainable models where the [activities] of the organic food
trade becomes consistent with the principles of sustainability.
Nate Schlachter
To conduct our businesses in a way that meets the needs of
present generations without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs….We embrace the
challenge to move our operations and actions toward
sustainable models where the [activities] of the organic food
trade becomes consistent with the principles of sustainability.
Nate Schlachter
To conduct our businesses in a way that meets the needs of
present generations without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs….We embrace the
challenge to move our operations and actions toward
sustainable models where the [activities] of the organic food
trade becomes consistent with the principles of sustainability.
SFTA follows the framework of the
Natural Step to define Sustainability
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Take
Share
Systems
Conditions
Maintain
Make
Sustainability is Systems thinking
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Understanding
our system?
the biosphere
society
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
PAST
Present
Future?
How do we stop the trends lines from crossing and expand the
funnel forevermore?
PAST
Present
Future!
how do we define
SUCCESS (therefore
Sustainability) within our
system?
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
In a sustainable society, nature is not
subject to systematically increasing:
1. concentrations of
substances extracted
from the earth’s crust,
3. degradation by
physical means,
2. concentrations of
substances produced by
society,
4. People are not subject
to conditions that
systematically undermine
their capacity to meet
their needs.
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Cycles of nature
Open system with
respect to energy
Closed system with
respect to matter
1) Nothing disappears
2) Everything disperses
« Photosynthesis
pays the bill »
Slow geological cycles
(volcano eruptions and
weathering)
Sustainability is
about the ability of
our own human
society to continue
indefinitely within
these natural
cycles
Slow geological cycles
(sedimentation and
mineralization)
http://www.naturalstep.org/
How humans influence cycles
Physically inhibit
nature’s ability to
run cycles
Create
barriers to
people
meeting their
basic needs
worldwide
Introduce persistent
compounds foreign to
nature
Extract large flows of
materials from the
Earth’s crust
http://www.naturalstep.org/
Therefore in a Sustainable Society…
We must live within the boundaries of the 4
system conditions.
Take, Make, Maintain, Respect
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
System Condition - Take
Reduce and ultimately
eliminate our dependence on
nonrenewable resources
such as fossil fuels, metals
and minerals.
Use renewable resources
whenever possible
Pay attention to what we take
from the earth
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
System Condition – Make
Reduce and ultimately eliminate our
dependence on persistent chemicals
and our use of man-made, synthetic
substances.
Use biologically safe products whenever possible safe for human health and the health of other species
Pay attention to what we make & leave in the
atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere
of the earth
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
System Condition – Maintain
Reduce and ultimately
eliminate our degradation
of and encroachment on
nature (e.g., land, water,
wildlife, forests, soil, etc.)
Protect natural ecosystems
whenever possible
Maintain biodiversity
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
System Condition – Respect
Support people’s capacity to meet their
basic needs fairly and efficiently.
Treat people with dignity and purchase
materials that are produced using this
principle whenever possible.
This condition refers to social justice and human
rights as an integral part of sustainability
Respect the rights of all people, both local and
distant
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Bringing it all together
The Natural Step – Defines sustainability and sets pathway to operate within
the 4 system conditions
The SFTA Declaration of Sustainability – Influenced by the Natural
Step outlines sustainability for the organic food trade.
Your business – How does your company currently violates the 4 systems
conditions and how can you change your business to operate differently
Reporting – Tracking and measuring your business based on the 11 declaration
areas to show improvement over time.
Introduction to SFTA & Sustainability
Thank you for becoming a member
www.sustainablefoodtrade.org
Phone: (413) 624-6678
Katherine DiMatteo, Executive Director
katherine@sustainablefoodtrade.org
Sandra Marquardt, Director of Communications
sandra@sustainablefoodtrade.org
Lisa Spicka, Director of Education
lisa@sustainablefoodtrade.org
SFTA Full Member Orientation