Advancing Sustainability from the Inside
September 19
2024As a member of a sustainably-minded ag business, you have the potential to shape the way people view our food system.
There is a dramatic difference between how consumers and producers understand sustainability.
While both groups have positive perceptions of sustainable agriculture, the general public has a much more limited understanding of it and even ranked “sustainability” as one of their top four least-understood terms (Farm Foundation, 2024).
Fostering shared understanding from farm to table is key to turning sustainability into the norm. With that comes a healthier future for people and the planet.
Part of the problem is that farmers themselves often don’t have the time or platform to communicate directly with consumers.
But an educated and informed hospitality and sales teams (that’s you!) can bridge this gap. And an easy way to start is by educating your team on what it means to be a sustainably-minded business.
Tolosa Winery created a unique way to both teach their team about sustainability and involve them in their efforts. This week’s Marketing Tip tells their story.
Advancing Sustainability from the Inside
With Tolosa’s 3 P’s Groups, employees were given the opportunity to experience sustainability first-hand.
Each person could join a group that focused on one of the three pillars of sustainability – People, Planet, and Prosperity. Each of the groups would take their area of focus and work together to find ways to improve the business’s practices.
People Group – This group focused on encouraging staff engagement, safety, communication, and more. They looked into wage scales to ensure staff received fair pay, and analyzed and improved safety procedures.
Planet Group – This group taught Tolosa’s staff new methods for recycling and composting both at work and at home! When the company wanted to expand its solar field, the Planet Group researched soil profiles and growing conditions in the vineyard to identify the area that was least-hospitable to vines so it could be used for the expansion.
Prosperity Group – Thanks to this group, Tolosa reduced their water use by hundreds of thousands of gallons. Members designed a water nozzle that eliminated the winery’s open-hose water use. In fact, the nozzle is so good, its use is now mandatory! Josh Baker, CEO, says, “On average, this ONE small change resulted in some 380,000 gallons of water savings annually.”
While participation in the groups was always optional, employees were enthusiastic to join. Josh notes that the level of staff involvement “was a bit of a surprise. People chose to take the extra time to be part of it!”
Share Your Story this ReSIProcal February
Invite club members from other SIP Certified brands to come visit your tasting room in February 2025.
ReSIProcal February is a month-long event that gives SIP Certified brands the opportunity to increase tasting room traffic by connecting with sustainably-minded brands and wine enthusiasts.
If you want to learn about how ReSIProcal February 2024 was, check out the recap!