Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 9/8/09

Andrew Winston is an environmental strategist and author of "Green Recovery." He helps companies make their operations more environmentally sustainable. Meatingplace talked to him about the challenges and opportunities for meat processors in their efforts to go green.

In the 15 questions about sustainability practices Wal-Mart recently rolled out to its largest suppliers, which ones do you see posing challenges for meat processors?

Knowing about every facility that you may subcontract from could be a challenge. They are asking, "What do you know about what you outsource? About your supply chain?" I think these are going to be very difficult. They are saying, "Not only are we asking you questions, but we are asking you if you are asking your suppliers questions."

How would you suggest that meat processors measure what their suppliers are doing?

Wal-Mart has given them a tool. They can just pass along these same questions to their suppliers. They can move the needle on these issues by asking these questions. Meat processors are in the middle of the value chain.

What other challenges do you see as specific to meat processors?

The documentary "Food Inc." and the books that the movie heavily relied on, such as "The Omivore's Dilemma," are heavily read and watched. They are pointing to the questions that are coming.

It is easy to focus just on the green side, but there is a whole other conversation about the safety and health. I think there is going to be rising pressure from USDA, from consumer groups and from all sorts of government agencies on what's in everything. But it is also clearly coming from the customers. Customers are asking very tough questions. There is going to be a lot more attention on the environmental footprint of all products.

Which ones will be aimed at meat processors?

Traditional meat production, including raising of the cattle before processing, uses a ton of energy versus eating lower on the food chain. That's not debatable; that's factual. The question is what [meat processors] will do with that debate? There is going to be increased pressure on the resource use of meat diets.

What is your advice to meat processors?

My advice to processors is to have that conversation with their value chain. It's going on in every kind of industry imaginable. It's going on in the milk industry. The milk guys have done life-cycle analyses on a gallon of milk. This means they've done a piece of the same value chain as meat in terms of the cow. The whole industry needs to have a conversation about how to bring down the total footprint.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.