Supermarket Perimeter - May 2020 - 11

the region in which they operate, Sharma said.
"We believe that food retailers should strive to achieve
a low GWP or natural refrigerant store portfolio that
will allow them to move to a future proof solution
and prevent frequent and costly system upgrades
or refrigerant retro-fits as regulations become more
stringent," he said.
As an example, Hillphoenix is currently working with
a number of food retailers in California as they prepare
for the upcoming CARB regulations that would limit the
average GWP within their store to half the current level.
"With these retailers we are evaluating their current
installed base are recommending product design
solutions that would meet these requirements in the
most cost-effective manner possible," Sharma said.
That could be a mix of moving to C02 in new stores,
using a micro-distributed SoloChill type product in
others, or a move away from a centralized R22 solution
to a distributed lower GWP R448A solution.
In 2007, Hillphoenix kicked off its sustainability
initiatives by defining sustainability as the ability to
achieve continuing economic prosperity while providing
the best outcomes for both the human and natural
environments both now and into the indefinite future.
Today, sustainability for refrigeration equipment design
is directly related to technology that reduces refrigerant
charge, the carbon footprint due to GWP or reduces the
energy consumption.
Regardless of the definition, Sharma said sustainability
is more important than ever.
"Globally, we are seeing more stringent environmental
regulations such as the F-Gas regulations in Europe,
and closer to home with the upcoming California
CARB regulations. Beyond California there is a growing
consortium of states, the US Climate Alliance, that are
closely following regulations in California and will likely
implement variations of the CARB regulations in their
states in the future."
For a retailer, he added, staying with or ahead of this
wave of regulations would prevent costly upgrades
with intermediate solutions that will appeal to a
growing climate-aware group of consumers for being
environmentally responsible.

HILLPHOENIX

Coronavirus shines light on
importance of forecasting
New York-based data forecasting company Crisp's
platform can be used by the retail grocery industry and
its supplier partners to enhance sustainability programs.
With the coronavirus, it's a technology that's more
important than ever, said Are Traasdahl, Crisp's cofounder and CEO.
"The world's supply chains are connected more than
ever before. With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, Crisp

Sustainability

the meat industry steps up

Now more than ever, consumers want to know where their
meat is coming from and how it was raised, said Heather
Donley, vice president of operations for Progressive Beef,
a cattle management and sustainability program for feedlot
operators that focuses on providing consumers more
information about how their beef is raised and cared for.
Implementation of Progressive Beef is a rigorous process,
and in 2019 the program was recognized as an industry
leader by the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. In
2018, Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson became the first beef
processor to license Progressive Beef.
According to a 2019 article in the Harvard Business Review
cited by Donley, products marked as sustainable grew more
than five times faster than their conventional counterparts.
"The Progressive Beef program is one of the easiest ways
for retail and foodservice operators to have access to a
consistent supply of beef where the production practices
are known, proven and can be quickly communicated to
consumers."
Sustainability, Donley said, is a cornerstone of the
Progressive Beef program, which covers all aspects of
day-to-day cattle care. Operators certified in the program
adhere to requirements for best practices for animal welfare,
food safety, responsible antibiotic use and environmental
sustainability.
Sustainability benchmarks are related to the efficient use
of natural resources including water and energy usage,
employee safety training and responsible antibiotic use. All
of these practices are verified twice per year through internal
and third-party audits.
More than two million cattle have already been certified
through the program and nearly four million cattle will be
cared for at certified Progressive Beef feedlots this year,
Donley said.
"Embracing our practices means consumers can be assured
that the beef they buy comes from cattle that were well
cared for in a sustainable environment."

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