Of the folks that raised a ruckus over “An Inconvenient Truth,” I wonder how many did so because of the “inconvenient” part. More than would admit it, I imagine. People resist change. I used to think that was other people, until I read this email from Chad, my book editor. It made me realize that in spite of what I say about sustainability being easy and fun, it can also be rather inconvenient – and downright annoying at times. Like when you want to eat an apple in the summertime.
If I’m determined to keep it green, I’ll have to eschew summertime apples altogether in favor of in-season locally grown produce. But here in blazing hot Texas, my options are limited. Corn, jalapenos, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, and some varieties of melon. Hmmm, none of these seems a savory substitute for apples. So if I’m going to break down and buy my apples from somewhere else, what should my priority be? Does a conventional U.S.-produced apple carry fewer “carbon calories” than an organic one from New Zealand? Chad was asking these very questions, and to his credit, he took the time to email the apple grower for advice. To Chad's four-line email, ENZA issued not one but two thoughtful and informative responses answering his concerns.
This correspondence shows me how big improvements are brought about by small actions. A conversation with a friend. A shopping decision at the grocery store. Reading a new source for a fresh perspective. One consequence of these seemingly insignificant life events is that consumer awareness around sustainability has reached a new level, and companies are listening like never before. To remain competitive in today’s increasingly environmentally-savvy marketplace, companies like ENZA are doing more than green advertising; they are forging relationships with their customers by educating them about ways to preserve our planet. While such a response to your average customer inquiry is atypical, I believe it is a sign of the good things to come for consumers willing to vote with their dollars.
But we can’t pin our hopes on companies alone. We are the other half of the equation. Don’t forget how even your smallest actions, like buying in-season, locally grown produce versus goods flown in from thousands of miles away, can make the difference between environmental responsibility and environmental rhetoric.
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(From Chad)
Dear ENZA:
I just bit into an organically grown Royal Gala apple from ENZA feeling happy about my green decision until I noticed it was grown in New Zealand. Ugh, I thought, how green can it be to ship an apple, organically grown or not, from half way around the world to Grand Rapids, Michigan. This apple might as well be marinated in oil.
So, what do you think? Am I right to be repulsed?
Trying for sustainability,
Chad
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Dear Chad,
Thank you for your e-mail. You have raised an interesting conundrum. Until recently ENZA apples have always come from New Zealand whether organic or non-organic. In the last few years we have been growing our JAZZ apple variety in increasing volumes in WA and it is now available year round across the country. By growing JAZZ we not only give you year round supply of a fantastic new apple but grow it closer to U.S. consumers, meaning less food miles.
Apples are a seasonal product and are traditionally not available year round. For you to bite into an apple on the 4th of July, organic or non-organic, requires one of two things to happen. Either the apple has to have been in cold storage since around October if harvested in the USA (that means it has been refrigerated for 7 months thus far, which is an energy intensive process), or it is a much fresher apple delivered from the Southern Hemisphere by ship (the most efficient way to transport product long distances). New Zealand Royal Gala apples are harvested at the beginning of April, so you have an apple in you hand that is just three months old.
With the advent of discussions around organics, sustainability, food miles, and carbon foot-printing there have been a number of studies done to measure the differences between local grown fruit vs. imported off-season fruit. While the methodologies are all different and there is not yet a global standard for measuring the impact, indications are that the energy used to bring fruit up from New Zealand compared to U.S. fruit spending up to 8 months in storage is not hugely different.
ENZA continuously works to minimise inputs into our apples whether organic or in-organic, while striving to be a global quality leader. We recognise that we cannot please all parts of the apple community but we endeavour to deliver all apple fans with a satisfactory eating experience and allow them to draw their same conclusions around the politics of trade.
I hope the apple was not repulsive and that you have a clearer framework in which to consider ENZA imported organic apples - currently the freshest in USA.
Kind regards,
Marketing and Communications Manager
ENZA International
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Dear Chad,
Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us and express your concern about the “green” nature of ENZA organic Royal Gala apples. Like you, the growers at ENZA are also “trying for sustainability,” so we appreciate hearing from you.
Living in Michigan, you certainly have an abundance of terrific apples to choose from in season. This time of year, as you may be aware, the only fresh apples available are from the Southern Hemisphere. Any locally grown (or Northern Hemisphere-produced) apples you might find at your grocery store now have been stored domestically for many months, and are burdened with the carbon footprint associated with the energy use required for long-term storage. Some studies show that the carbon emissions entailed in the production and storage of domestic apples are indeed higher than that of the transportation of Southern Hemisphere apples to market. You might be interested in this article from the Telegraph, a UK daily that provides an overview of a 2007 Lincoln University study along this line.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1553456/Greener-by-miles.html
Research suggests that as little as 2% of the environmental impact of a food product comes from its transportation, so we believe it is important to look at factors beyond shipping, like water use, harvesting techniques, fertilizer outlays, renewable energy applications, type of packaging, storage procedures and dozens of other cultivation inputs when as we work toward Earth-friendliness in apple production. ENZA growers – organic and conventional – have an eye to these processes and are committed to producing apples with the smallest affect possible on the planet. Such measures as Integrated Fruit Production (entailing, among other things, the use of predator pest control instead of pesticides), composting, manufacturing packaging using recycled material, etc. are typical practices.
I hope this is helpful to you as you consider your future apple purchases.
Best regards,
Communications Manager, The Oppenheimer Group (North American marketer of ENZA apples and pears)
Anna Clark is president of EarthPeople, a Dallas-based consulting firm. She is an author, a speaker, a columnist for Greenbiz.com, and a regular contributor to SustainLane. Anna lives in Dallas with her husband Michael, their toddlers Jordan and Ryan, and their pet Bullmastiff named Casper . Their home is the second LEED-certified Platinum residence in Dallas.
