Last week found all of us from Pure Strategies bent over radishes, tomato plants, and kale as we weeded, picked and trimmed our way down harvest-ready rows.

“We must feed 9 billion people by 2050” is a common refrain among food industry leaders, held up as the ultimate — if elusive — goal of production and sustainability. Unfortunately, current approaches to address this challenge are unsustainable — from economic, ecological and social perspectives.

Consumers want to know if the products they use contain harmful chemicals. Does this mean companies should label products “free-of” certain chemicals to help consumers? Maybe, but with the US Federal Trade Commission cracking down on misleading chemical claims, this should be done carefully.

Have you been dreading what you might find in the new G4 sustainability reporting guidelines? Smaller and mid-sized companies, take heart. There is (mostly) good news. There are also some tasks you should begin right now.

Devastating losses of the lowly honeybee hold lessons for business sustainability strategies and systems-based analyses.

We spend 90% of our time indoors where air pollution is two to five times greater than outdoors. There aren’t any cars driving through the house to pollute the air, so where does the pollution come from? It is probably not surprising that tobacco smoke and mold pollute indoor air, but common household products are another key contributor. The good news is that manufacturers can protect public health and demonstrate their leadership by reducing the contribution their products make in polluting indoor air.

A new report found that companies using business model innovation were more than twice as likely to find that their sustainability initiatives add business value. That is a tremendous argument for investing the time, energy, and creativity in developing new and custom approaches to address difficult challenges.

Water-related power outages in India; over 900 vessels stranded on the Xijiang River in Guangxi, China; industrial projects halted in at least seven U.S. states; closures of the Yangtze due to water shortages — despite carrying 60 percent of the goods transported by river in China…

​For most sustainability managers, there comes a time when your program starts to take shape. There is a future direction; there are goals – even some achievements. You’ve moved beyond baby steps with light bulbs and recycled office paper. You’re tackling the big stuff. You’re proud of the program you and your team have created. It may not be perfect but your aim is true and you are making progress.

There are many questions that go into understanding “green” eggs and ham, as the Dr. Seuss-inspired poem above suggests. Asking questions about environmental, social, and economic impact is a typical starting point for advancing product sustainability. For animal-based food products, sustainability also needs to address the animal’s care. The top animal welfare issues companies are tackling concern cages for egg-laying hens and gestation crates for sows. But does addressing these animal welfare issues make for green eggs and ham?