Navigating New Norms: Retailer Requirements for Biodiversity and Pest Management
Major retailers are raising the bar in terms of which agricultural products they will accept and sell. This means the quickly shifting space of biodiversity and pest management certifications for agricultural products is growing increasingly difficult to navigate. For many agricultural companies, keeping track of what each retailer requires has become increasingly challenging.
The Sustainable Agriculture team at SCS Global Services (SCS) supports businesses looking to strengthen sustainability performance and reduce environmental impacts — and this includes making sense of the complex and important topic of integrated pest management and biodiversity protection.
In this blog, we’ll walk through established and emerging certifications to help farmers and growers distinguish their products while meeting retailer requirements. We’ll also explore the benefits and challenges of each certification program while offering expert guidance on what it looks like to implement a sustainable integrated pest management program that protects biodiversity while also staying competitive across the market.
What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a comprehensive approach to controlling pest populations while minimizing environmental impacts, protecting pollinator health, and ensuring compliance with various laws and regulations. IPM involves a combination of techniques, such as biological control, habitat manipulation, pesticide use, and the planting of resistant cultivars. The goal of choosing IPM is to make pest control decisions that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially responsible.
One of the challenges with audits of IPM is documentation. While many growers are already practicing some form of IPM, what sets certified IPM apart is the need for meticulous record-keeping. This involves not just implementing pest control measures but also documenting each decision, the rationale behind it, and the outcomes. This documentation is crucial for demonstrating compliance with retailer requirements.
Why are Retailer Requirements Important?
Retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods have started to set specific sustainability targets, including requirements for IPM. Walmart, for example, has set a timeline for all producers in their food and floral supply chains to meet specific IPM requirements through a basket of approved certifications. This matters because — with 25% of all groceries sold in the U.S. — Walmart holds substantial influence over grocery market trends.
Retailers set these requirements to ensure that the products they sell are produced in environmentally sustainable manners, are socially responsible, and are economically viable. These requirements are not just guidelines but often become de facto standards that producers must meet to maintain their market access.
Benefits and Challenges of IPM Certification Programs
The primary benefit of IPM certification programs is that they provide a structured and documented approach to pest management, which is increasingly required by major retailers. Some of these certifications also offer a way to differentiate products in a competitive market, providing a marketing edge through eco-labels and enhanced consumer trust.
Additionally, different retailers may have different requirements, making it difficult for companies to choose the right certification program. With expert guidance and strategic insights, however, companies can not only make sense of these requirements, but also leverage the many benefits associated with retailer requirements to maintain market relevance and demonstrate a commitment to continued improvement.
Types of IPM Certification Programs
Several IPM certification programs are available, each with its own set of requirements and benefits. Below, we discuss a few notable considerations.
Sustainably Grown
Established fifteen years ago by SCS Global Services, Certified Sustainably Grown is a high-bar sustainability initiative that addresses a wide range of environmental stewardship and social responsibility considerations. Sustainably Grown is organized into three primary categories: business integrity, sustainable farming practices, and ethical stewardship. And each of those categories offers additional considerations for farmworker protections, soil and water conservation, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience.
The Certified Sustainably Grown framework is consistently ranked among the highest standards in independent surveys and is aligned with leading US and European initiatives. The certification program is recognized by ALDI, Walmart, Costco and LIDL and has been adopted by Peri & Sons, Del Monte, Jac. Vandenberg’s Sunrays, and Pompeian — as part of their sustainable agriculture initiatives. This comprehensive certification offers significant advantages for brand differentiation for large, consumer-facing companies that can excel under the pressure of rigorous audits.
Bee Better Certification
Bee Better Certification is unique in that it focuses specifically on pollinator health. It is particularly well-suited for perennial crops like blueberries and almonds, which can serve as permanent pollinator habitats. Accepted by major retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, and others, this certification assures sustainable practices and represents a strong, consumer-facing eco-label, making it useful for product differentiation.
The primary challenge with Bee Better Certification is its stringent requirements around permanent pollinator habitats, which can be difficult for growers in high-cost land areas to implement. For those who can meet these requirements, however, the certification offers significant benefits in terms of market differentiation and consumer trust.
Equitable Food Initiative (EFI)
EFI is a comprehensive certification that covers social compliance, food safety, and IPM. It is a rigorous program, often requiring multiple auditors over several days. Because of its comprehensive nature, EFI is particularly appealing to larger operations that face audit fatigue from multiple certifications.
A key benefit of EFI is its strong social compliance element, which is highly valued by retailers like Costco and Whole Foods. Both corporations have made commitments to pay a premium for EFI because of how this certification supports workforce development and protection. In turn, companies that choose to become certified to the EFI program will be able to enhance responsible human resources management.
This certification’s broad coverage also means that it requires a significant investment in terms of both time and resources, specifically a robust quality management system and quality assurance (QA) team to implement the program effectively. To that end, EFI is best suited for larger operations that can afford this investment and are looking to streamline multiple sustainability requirements into one comprehensive audit.
GlobalG.A.P.
GlobalG.A.P. Certification is one of the most popular food safety programs globally and was one of the original certifications to be recognized by Walmart for integrated pest management. Inclusion in Walmart’s original list of accepted certifications has helped GlobalG.A.P. earn recognition with other retailers, too. This certification can be adapted to farms of all sizes and offers several add-ons for specific needs, such as water standards and social compliance. The program’s flexibility makes it a good starting point for growers looking to meet changing retailer requirements.
One consideration for operations looking at GlobalG.A.P. is that it is primarily a food safety audit. While it does offer add-ons for other sustainability aspects, these are not as comprehensive as some other certifications. For many growers, however, GlobalG.A.P. serves as a practical and efficient way to meet multiple requirements in the short term.
Fair Trade USA
When weighing the many options for IPM, companies would do well to remember that IPM does not occur in a vacuum — meaning it’s part of a broader set of requirements that everyone must address. One way to get ahead of the many different social, environmental, and labor requirements that intersect with IPM is to look for certifications that tick the boxes within a much broader set of requirements. Fair Trade USA is a trusted and long-standing example of a certification that offers these many benefits.
In recent years, major retailers such as Walmart and Costco have instituted significant labor requirements — in addition to their more stringent environmental standards for suppliers and producers. It’s for this reason that Fair Trade USA has gained remarkable traction — both among retailers that require and consumers who value its strong social, environmental, and labor standards. This consumer-facing certification is known for comprehensive audits and extensive social compliance requirements, demanding considerable investment from companies.
But companies aren’t only picking up on Fair Trade USA’s labor requirements out of the goodness of their hearts — instead, they recognize that meeting these standards makes good business sense above all. The focus on continuous improvement makes Fair Trade USA effective and popular.
Though traditionally linked with tropical commodities like coffee, cocoa, and bananas, Fair Trade USA has expanded into fresh produce and cut flowers. It requires participants to achieve progressive levels of compliance, aligning with most retailer standards, including Walmart’s.
Taking Action
Navigating the administrative and operational complexities of biodiversity and pest management certifications is challenging but essential for meeting evolving retailer requirements and achieving sustainability goals. By understanding the different certification programs, their benefits, and challenges — and by implementing a comprehensive and well-documented IPM program — agricultural companies can position themselves for success in a rapidly changing market. While the path to certification may be arduous, the rewards in terms of market access, consumer trust, and environmental impact are well worth the effort.
Companies looking for in-depth discussion on the topic of retailer requirements for IPM certifications are encouraged to watch the replay of our webinar, “Navigating New Norms: Retailer Requirements for Biodiversity and Pest Management.”
