The triple bottom line

The FMI Sustainability Summit here in Minneapolis is well attended (over 300 registered) and the event has started off with two workshops on Monday. For some in the audience, the discussions were not necessarily plowing new ground, but many big picture topics were taken up today, including global warming, the looming water crisis, limits to growth, consumer attitudes (greenwashing, or how "green" is that chain saw?).

Carter Roberts of the World Wildlife Fund delivered the keynote address, answering the question why sustainability is an imperative for retailers. His sober message; resource scarcity and climate change are two of the most important issues of our lifetime and the food chain must be able to do more with less.

The first workshop looked at consumer attitudes and values in the market place, and the second workshop reviewed the experience of three sustainability "pioneers." A highlight of that workshop was the presentation by Gene Kahn, former organic potato grower and now global sustainability officer with General Mills, Inc. who embraced the need and the value of conventional agriculture in helping to feed the world.


Of course, the starting point for FMI is the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. FMI's definition of sustainability is "business practices that promote the long term well being of the environment, society and the bottom line.


FMI recently approved a policy on plastic bags that includes provisions to maximize use of reusable bags and promote comprehensive recycling of plastic bags.


It sounds as if FMI will consider resources needed to develop a "carbon footprint plan" for the retail trade, in addition to other work with the supply chain on sustainability standards.