At Oppenheimer, we look sustainability through a wide angle lens. We can train our eyes on the grower in the orchard, standing tall as he considers the season’s water supply. We can look to the boxes piled high in the packhouse, ready to transport our fruit to market. We can shift our view to the ship’s captain, the coolstore operator, the truck driver and the retail store manager — and the resources they require to serve our business.

We know what it takes, because we have measured it.

Understanding our greenhouse gas emissions has enlightened us to the reality that as a fresh produce marketer with a global supply network, we have an opportunity be kinder to the planet. It has also made us realize that like so many other aspects of the produce business, like the whims of Mother Nature and foreign currency exchange, there are things we can change, and those we cannot. It has motivated us both philosophically and fiscally to focus on the matters we can influence, large and small.

With this in mind, we are determined to grow a globally greener supply chain. To engage with every aspect, from the seeds we plant, to the packaging we use, to the transportation companies we hire — we are seeking partnerships that drive out waste and focus on conservation. We are committed to deliver solutions like more Fair Trade and Rain Forest Alliance certified products to help our customers and their shoppers grow greener as well.

Our greenhouse gas emissions inventory was compiled and analyzed by Offsetters, Canada’s first and largest carbon management firm, using the internationally recognized Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The boundary included all business activities under our operational control. Because we believe in transparency and want to be held accountable for our emissions and reduction strategy, we have voluntarily posted our inventory on the internationally recognized Carbon Disclosure Project.

Our overarching goal is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by five percent by 2013.

At the same time, we’ll look for even more ways to care for the planet. Not just for the earth in which our fruits and vegetables grow, but for the people who tend them, and those around the world who serve our produce to their families. By supporting our communities near and far — in our local neighborhoods and the areas where we produce — we can make a meaningful difference.

The Oppenheimer Group has been in business for over 150 years. You don’t reach such a wise old age without having stewardship of people, planet and profit at heart, but we feel the time has come to do more. By Taking Steps to Grow Greener Together, we’re true to our heritage of prudent business practices that support the world we have the privilege of thriving in.

At Oppenheimer, our expect the world from us promise lives at the heart of everything we do. It encompasses our expertise at growing the best fresh produce from around the globe, our commitment to service that exceeds expectations, and our respect for the planet that sustains us all.

» Learn more about how we're Growing Greener.
» Learn about our growers’ sustainability efforts.