Standards, Certification And Sustainability

A panel of growers and retailers discusses the ins and outs of making sustainability a part of doing business in 2008.

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Audience Question: This question is for Charlie Cole and John Bonner since you have retail stores. Does it make you nervous as independent retailers that the big boxes will have certification maybe as early as this spring? If so, why and if not, why?

Cole: It doesn’t make me nervous because I don’t think the consumer really understands what sustainability is. When they understand the process behind it and what the future holds, then I think it will be a bigger deal. But independents are, what did you say yesterday, nimble and flexible. As an independent we can change pretty quickly, unlike a box store. When the time does come that the consumer understands all of this, I think we’ll be prepared to go forward.

Bonner: I don’t think it’s a bad thing because it raises awareness in the general marketplace and I don’t have to pay $100,000 for TV ads telling people about sustainability. It’s out there, but we as independents are going to do a better job at it.

Cole: Love or hate a box store, they spend a lot of money on advertising that’s free advertising for us in the big picture. So they can be the big push for gardening in general but for sustainability in the future.

Audience Question: You said you’re going to let the dust settle. I’ve heard others say we should be pushing organic/sustainable. Or should consumers be the ones to push? I think we should be the ones to push and be a step ahead before they’re asking for it.

Elenbaas: We’re doing what we can as long as it makes economic, environmental, and social sense. We’re not in a rush to be certified, but should we be leaders out there, absolutely. We at this point don’t see sustainability as the be all and end all. We still have to focus on a lot of other important parts of our business like customer service and new varieties. Sustainability is just one piece of the puzzle. But should we be leaders? Absolutely.

Audience Question: Is MPS marketing its certification to consumers?

Cole: That’s one of the questions we had when we met with them a couple of weeks ago D the end consumer care? Do they know? And they said no grower and no retailer gets more money for a sustainable plant.

I think that’s been a big question here in the U.S., but I think the end consumer feels better about what they’re buying. MPS doesn’t actually have a label or a tag that the end consumer will see, so there’s no branding behind it. We said to them, if you come to the States, one of things you might want to look at is an identity, a brand or a tag, to add to this whole process, so the end user, our consumer, can see what they’re buying. I don’t believe we’ll be able to get more money for a sustainable petunia. I just don’t think it’s possible. Will you be able to get more money for an organic vegetable or herb? Absolutely, I see it every day. But I don’t necessarily believe you as a grower and we as a retailer will get more money for a sustainable product.

Bonner: I agree with Charlie on that. I believe it’s important for us as a grower to get our foot in there. I think if you take two quality plants and you say this one was grown sustainably and this one was not – if you take them both and set them right here and they’re both nice plants, people are going to buy the sustainable one today. Price being given. It can’t be inflationary We don’t want sustainability to be inflationary, but I’m telling you it’s not inflationary. What we’re doing every day in our business is saving money. It’s going right to our bottom line, and what’s good for the environment has been good for our business. The organic thing, the reason we haven’t gone that way is because that’s inflationary. That’s going to cost us money. And I’ve been through a couple of places that grow organically and Wal-Mart’s not going to pay you more and you have to sell it for more. The population that’s growing strictly organic is only a small piece of the pie right now. When the trend changes a little more I think it will make more sense, but right now, once again for us, it doesn’t make sense to go the organic route, but it sure does sustainably. We’re saving money. GG

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