A new three-year project will not only help greenhouse operators reduce their carbon footprint but give them a new marketing tool
Alberta’s greenhouse industry is upping its environmental game in anticipation that large retailers such as Wal-Mart are going to demand higher green standards from its suppliers.
A recent study by Alberta Agriculture’s horticultural branch identified the measurement of a greenhouse’s carbon footprint as a priority.
In response, and with support from the Growing Forward 2 program, industry has partnered with Alberta Agriculture on a program to measure and establish benchmarks for water, energy, materials usage, and waste. With those benchmarks in hand, individual greenhouse owners will be able to make comparisons and identify where there is room for improvement.
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“For most of Alberta’s greenhouse industry, in the short term, this will not impact on any of their sales or production management systems,” said Toso Bozic, Alberta Agriculture agroforester and bioenergy specialist.
“But as time goes on, there will be more pressure from large retailers to see their records on water, material, wastes and energy use. Our industry may face challenges to meet their requirements.”
In addition to satisfying retailers’ demands, it’s hoped the three-year study will also identify ways for greenhouse operators to boost productivity and profitability, he said.
But it’s a complex area.
“I think many times growers don’t understand what ‘green’ means,” said Mohyuddin Mirza, education director with the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association. “So I think it is important to give them a definition of what it means to be more green and more sustainable, and how this matches up with the green and sustainability ratings of retailers.”
By documenting and reducing their carbon footprint, local vegetable growers in particular will be able to compare themselves with foreign competitors such as Mexico and give consumers an additional reason to buy Alberta produce, he said.
The project will also allow operators here to compare energy, water, and materials consumption, as well as labour costs and waste management practices to those of foreign greenhouse operators — and then consider adopting superior methods and technology. As a starting point, Alberta Agriculture and the greenhouse growers association are surveying the entire Alberta greenhouse crops industry. The association will survey produce, bedding plant, and tree seedling sectors for its benchmarking study.
The greenhouse industry is diverse, and some sectors already using advanced energy, water, and waste management systems that reduce their carbon footprint, Mirza said.
In addition to meeting the demands of retailers, the project may help the industry develop what may be considered ‘green’ products that could open more retail doors because of this value-added proposition, Bozic said.
The project team will also contact large retailers and ask what they require regarding the environmental footprint of their suppliers. At present, it appears there are no fixed standards and it is left to individual companies to set their own standards and goals, said Bozic. The team will also help industry to develop a Best Management Practices guide, as well as benchmarking tools for improving water, material, waste, and energy efficiency.
“We want to provide hands-on, practical information through various sessions and tours,” said Bozic.
Once the benchmarks are established, greenhouse operators will be encouraged to invest in more efficient heating, lighting and waste management systems. They will also be asked to evaluate the reliability and efficiency of their equipment to see if changes and further investment makes financial sense. Finally, they will be asked to review whether adopting more environmentally friendly technology could lower their labour costs.
The Alberta Agriculture team will also point individual greenhouses toward various government grants that could provide financial assistance to help them reduce their environmental footprint. One possible program is the On-Farm Energy Management Program of the Growing Forward 2 initiative. Alberta Agriculture is holding two greenhouse industry workshops (in Edmonton on Dec. 3 and in Medicine Hat on Dec. 5) to introduce the project and share some of the initial survey results.
