Page 21 - Griffin Gazette - July 2026

For years, sustainability conversations in the horticultural Recent industry developments, including insights from
industry centered on future goals, broad commitments, Growscape’s 2026 Sustainability Report and the launch of
and aspirational benchmarks. Recently, the conversation its EarthSafe stewardship platform, reflect this broader shift
has shifted. Growers are now navigating a more practical toward operational sustainability. Expanded initiatives such
reality: sustainability is no longer defined by what companies as its ReSource Recycling and ReAssure regulatory and
promise, but by what operations can consistently execute. EPR compliance programs also point to a growing industry
emphasis on connected systems that integrate materials
Across the industry, expectations are accelerating. Retailers
management, recovery, reporting, and compliance into
want measurable reporting. Regulators are introducing new
everyday business practices.
compliance requirements. Consumers increasingly expect
environmental responsibility to be embedded into the One of the clearest changes is the growing demand for
products they purchase and the companies they support. At measurable sustainability data. Increasingly, growers are
the same time, growers continue balancing labor shortages, being asked to provide documented proof of environmental
supply chain instability, margin pressure, and rising performance through retailer scorecards, state reporting
operational costs. The result is a more grounded approach requirements, and supply chain audits. Data collection and
to sustainability, one focused less on optics and more on traceability are becoming essential business functions.
systems that work in real-world production environments.

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