Bluebook Weekend Interview with Measure to Improve Founder, Nikki Cossio

Salinas, CA-based Measure to Improve, LLC provides sustainability solutions to businesses throughout the produce supply chain. Founded in 2014, the company offers guidance and customized services for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint and implement more eco-friendly practices and processes.

We talked to founder and CEO Nikki Cossio about what 2025 brings to the forefront in terms of sustainability and environmental challenges.

Q: Tell us about your deep roots in agriculture. 

I’m a fourth-generation member of a farming family. I watched my father, uncle, and grandfather start their first company, Rio Farms, in 1978 and Gills Onions in 1983.

Growing up, I spent my summers tagging tomato trailers, driving the water truck, working in my grandmother’s packing shed sizing and sorting pimientos, or in the office. One of my fondest memories was riding around with my dad, looking at the fields, cutting and trialing the produce. 

Now I’ve raised two sons—one of whom works in the industry—and my granddaughter, at just 10 months old, took her first tractor ride, potentially making her the sixth generation in agriculture.

Alice and Alex Rodoni

Q: Describe your work in the industry and what led to the creation of Measure to Improve.

My sustainability journey in the produce sector began in 2007 while working at Gills Onions BB #:113044 and Rio Farms.

I saw where sustainability was headed and the growing need for businesses to measure, communicate, and improve their sustainability efforts. Industry peers were increasingly seeking guidance around sustainability; I recognized the gap and saw it as an opportunity.

I founded Measure to Improve to serve a larger audience than my own family business, to make sustainability more approachable for the produce industry.

My goal was to help others understand the meaning, benefits, and value that sustainability could bring to organizations. I wanted to help the industry proactively shape and define sustainability in a way that makes sense, and most importantly, I aimed to drive consistency and foster collaboration.

Chairing the United Fresh Foundation’s Center for Global Produce Sustainability Committee (2010-12) and later chairing the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Sustainability Council (2022-24) reinforced this vision.

Today, my team and I remain active in the Council’s subcommittees, continuing to learn, contribute, and collaborate across the supply chain to drive meaningful change.

Q: How did you choose the company’s name?

When I started on this journey, there was no clear roadmap. However, I knew that data is the foundation of sustainability—hence, “Measure.”

But measurement alone isn’t enough. Using that data to drive improvement and opportunities is just as crucial—hence, “Improve.”

Taking this a little bit further, “prove” is part of “improve,” which emphasizes the importance of validating sustainability efforts to avoid greenwashing.

Our tagline, “Producing Industry Solutions,” plays on both delivering tangible outcomes and supporting the produce industry in finding practical, impactful solutions.

At Measure to Improve, we want to guide companies in adopting sustainability programs and practices that increase profitability, promote visibility and employee engagement, and encourage the fresh produce industry to take a proactive approach.

Q: What were your initial goals? Have they changed or evolved over the years, such as adding more tools or services for clients?

From the beginning, our approach has been to make sustainability approachable, relatable, and tangible.

We break it down into bite-sized, exciting pieces, clarifying that sustainability must start with a good business case, so companies don’t feel overwhelmed and see it as an opportunity rather than a burden.

Over time, we’ve expanded our solutions to reflect the evolving landscape. What started as guidance on sustainability has grown to include comprehensive programs.

Nevertheless, its core remains the same: our success comes from helping businesses understand the interconnectedness of people, planet, and profit.

By showing how these three pillars work together, we make sustainability both approachable and indispensable.