Wondering if the economy, Washington’s policy shift and recent headlines about greenwashing have slowed progress? I did too.
At the Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Anaheim, I expected hesitation. Instead, I found the opposite: a bigger conference, stronger resolve, and contagious passion for stewarding land, partnering with farm families, and tackling the hurdles slowing progress.
From finance to packaging to messaging, one thing was clear: the future of food depends on collaboration, transparency, and trust. As marketers, we play a critical role in helping brands navigate this complexity—and that gets me jazzed!
This conference had a litany of breakout sessions so no two attendees will have the same takeaways. Here are my top 5, designed to shape sustainability strategies that resonate with consumers and B2B customers:
1. Trust and Transparency Are Non-Negotiable
Trust is the currency of sustainability. Farmers, lenders, and brands agree: relationship-based risk-taking matters. For brands, that means defining what sustainability means to you, documenting every step, and treating claims with the rigor of financial reporting. “Greenhushing”, the fear of greenwashing, must not silence progress. Proactive transparency builds credibility and resilience.
2. Finance and Technology Must Evolve Together
“You can’t be green if you’re in the red.” Grants and creative financing are essential to help producers adopt new practices. Example: advanced spraying equipment promises better yields and environmental benefits, but traditional lending favors hard assets like plows over tech investments. Community banks and innovative financing can bridge the gap—and marketers can spotlight brands enabling this change.
3. Messaging Matters: Heart First, Data Second
Consumers and B2B customers want sustainable products, but terms like “regenerative agriculture” aren’t understood right now. Emotional narratives around family farming, local impact, health, and biodegradability were examples shared of what connect best. Farm visits are so very powerful too as they can turn skeptics into advocates. And, plain-language data builds credibility. Want a powerful example? Microplastics. Cotton’s biodegradability advantage over synthetics is a message that resonates deeply with eco-conscious audiences. (Did you know we eat a credit card size worth of plastic each day? Yeah, I didn’t know that either.)
4. Packaging Sustainability Is a Balancing Act
I chose to step out of my usual focus of meat and into a breakout session for fruits and vegetable producers. It was fascinating and eye opening. The problems they are facing are just around the corner for the meat industry as we move to more and more case ready items.
Produce faces a “sustainability paradox”: reducing packaging can increase food waste, while extending shelf life often compromises recyclability. Functional sustainability now considers the entire lifecycle, not just end-of-life. Marketers must help brands explain the why behind packaging decisions because consumers want transparency, not just labels.
5. Silence Is Riskier Than Speaking Up
Abby Kornegay, Animal Agriculture Alliance, shared how animal agriculture is facing mounting activist pressure exploiting perceived sustainability gaps. Some companies stop communicating out of fear. The unintended consequence is that it creates a void of accurate information which is fed by activists. This inaccurate information then feeds misinformation spit out by AI search models and in social media narratives. Proactive transparency, validated in some form (often by a third-party), rigorous monitoring systems, and honest reporting of both successes and setbacks builds a “trust bank” that pays dividends during crises. Speaking of crisis, think about this.
Jacque Matson, Related Strategies, sent a chill through the room when she shared these stats: A crisis can now go global in under two hours whereas a corporate response isn’t typically available for at least 24 hours. Note to self: Be sure you are reviewing/updating and training on your internal crisis comms plans at least annually.
The Big Picture
The global population will triple in our lifetime, but resources won’t. Sustainable efficiencies are key. Across finance, messaging, packaging, and transparency, the common thread is collaboration. Farmers, lenders, brands, and consumers must work together to balance economics and sustainability.
Marketers can lead this charge. Start by asking:
- How is your brand defining and talking about sustainability?
- Are you telling stories that connect emotionally and are back with data?
- Are you building trust?
Let’s lead the conversation, not quietly follow it. Because in agriculture, trust is everything.
