Oppy outlines sustainability achievements and roadmap in new report
Sustainability report reaffirms Oppy’s bright future
Revitalizing its sustainability promise, the leading grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce has released the first edition of its sustainability report, “Expect the world from us,” outlining its accomplishments and vision for the future.
Taking a step back in 2022 to examine all efforts within the business, Oppy identified five specific areas to focus on throughout its supply chain, which include: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, food waste, water use, packaging materials, and impact on people and communities.
“We are so proud to share this report and where we stand in our commitment to sustainability,” said Senior Manager of Innovation and Sustainability Garland Perkins. “This in-depth report is a culmination of data collection within those five focus areas, celebrating numerous achievements across our organization and setting tangible objectives for what we want to accomplish as we go into the future.”
A few of Oppy’s recent achievements include:
- Implemented multiple energy-savings measures which resulted in an annual reduction of 292 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents
- Calculated the total climate impact of every Oppy product in 2022 (in CO2 equivalents per year)
- Partnered with additional food repurposing organizations to deliver surplus to people experiencing food insecurity while also mitigating food waste, and establishing a more robust data collection process to track ongoing food waste reduction
- Generated over $1.3 million in Fair Trade premiums in 2021, accounting for 11% of total premiums by programs in North America
Projects for 2023 include a pilot with Tesla electric trucks on routes within the Vancouver, BC region and a precision irrigation technology trial in effort to decrease water, fertilizer and energy use while also achieving higher yields. Perkins shared, “We are very deliberate about where we focus our efforts and where we can make a positive impact — being specific about what we are going to achieve and how we will measure that.”
Oppy will update this document on an annual basis, detailing its sustainability efforts as they continue to evolve within the world of agriculture and beyond.
“This is not only a report out, but also a public call for collaboration,” noted Perkins. “We recognize that we achieve more when we work together — if you have technology that can elevate the environmental friendliness of our supply chain, please reach out. We look forward to working with our trusted partners and new collaborators in the coming years.”
