ANSI Sustainable Agriculture Standards Development Progress Report, May 2009 by Jim Pierce, FTSLA Representative on the Standards Committee
The full committee of met for the first time in September 2008 where we "set aside" the SCS standard to be used as a reference document in the development of a new set of standards. At the same meeting six task forces were set up: Needs Assessment, Missions and Principles, Reference Documents, Metrics, Outreach and Funding. Of the 56-member committee about 20 have coalesced into the "Earthworm Caucus" for the purpose of uniting the voice of organic representatives and sympathizers. We succeeded in seeding and establishing leadership on the task forces including Grace Gershuny (Missions), Jim Pierce (Needs) and Bill Wolfe (Metrics).
The task forces are completing their work in preparation for meeting May 27 and 28 in Chicago. Below are links and comment contacts to draft presentations from M&P and Needs. Some of the key points in these documents:
Yes, there needs to be a standard therefore we will work to create one that is transparent and rigorous.
Built on the "Three Pillars" of sustainability; Economic, Environment and Social.
It will attempt to harmonize the multiple projects happening as well as to expose sham standards.
Reward should be incentive based, not market based. Marketers may use the standard as a platform for market labels.
The goal is to develop a standard that will be a hybrid Practice and Outcomes based.
We will attempt to make it broad based, accessible to most anyone to come in and begin continuous improvement.
Modular to apply to diverse cropping systems and to be expanded to other areas.
Initially crops based, first round of expansion will be for livestock.
Standard will end at farm gate, modular structure will allow for expansion.
Priorities/Challenges
Determining what outcomes can and/or must be measured on which to base compliance and progress will be a give and take. A number of committee members representing conventional producers are strongly encouraging the language "outcomes-based approach" including the concept of "Technology Neutral". For our part we will counter this language by bringing in the concepts of "true costing" and the precautionary principle. There seems to genuine desire by everyone involved to find common ground that will encourage a much larger portion of agriculture to improve practices and therefore manifest positive impact a large portion of agricultural land.
At the May meeting in Chicago the full committee will evaluate the Task Forces work and hopefully coalesce on a path forward. We will probably dissolve most or all of the Task Forces and will possibly create the next set of task forces to deal with "Difficult Issues" including: technology, labor practices, non-point environmental impact, harmonization and actual standards writing.
The Earthworm coalition is planning pre-meeting meetings in order to be prepared and ready with a plan.
Jim Pierce serves on the FTSLA Board or Directors and is the representative on the Committee to develop ANSI National Sustainable Agriculture Standard. He is the Global Certification Director for Oregon Tilth Certified Organic. For nearly 20 years he has been an active participant in developing organic, animal welfare and fair trade regulation.
FTSLA Hosts Defining Sustainability Through an Organic Lens at All Things Organic Conference
June 16-18, 2009 Chicago, IL
Come join us at the All Things Organic Conference in Chicago, where the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association will host:
"Defining Sustainability Through an Organic Lens"
June 18th, 2009 1:30-3:30pm Room E256 McCormick Place
Undoubtedly "sustainability" is one of the most popular buzz words of the last few years. With increasing consumer demand for products that are "sustainable", many businesses are looking to brand their practices as the "greenest" the most "socially responsible" and "local". It is critical for organic business leaders to have a solid foundation to understand and communicate the sustainability values of their products and services in an authentic way.
This thought provoking discussion on how to define and talk about sustainability though the "organic lens". Speakers will discuss foundational frameworks like Cradle to Cradle Design, The Natural Step, Natural Capitalism and the "triple bottom line" and how they relate to organics and sustainable business leadership.
AGENDA
1:30pm Introductions
1:35pm Resources OTA's resources for sustainable practices ~Tessa Young; FTSLA's resources for sustainability innovation ~ Natalie Reitman-White
1:45pm Get schooled in Organicology™, frameworks for action: Cradle to Cradle Design, The Natural Step, Natural Capitalism, and "triple bottom line" and how they relate to organics and sustainable business leadership. ~Tom Wright & Natalie Reitman-White
2:30pm Group Collaboration & Report Back: Small group collaboration will center around the questions "What does 2040's sustainable food system look like? What are the impediments moving forward? What needs re-definition or re-educating?"
3:15pm Sustainability Practices Forum What topics would you like to see discussed?
FTSLA Hosts a Sustainable Business Networking Meeting at the Organic Summit
June 3-5, 2009 Stevenson, WA
Come join us at the Organic Summit in Stevenson, Washington at the Skamania Lodge in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. The Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association will host a pre-conference:
Sustainable Business Networking Meeting June 3rd, 2009 10am-12pm in the Rainier Room
Don't miss this opportunity to connect with your peers to share ideas that can impact your business in a meaningful way. FTSLA members can register for the Organic Summit at a special discount at $995. Just use the promo code "FTSLA". Click here to register.
"This is our time," is a refrain heard often in the organic community today. Organic producers along with our industry and non-profit colleagues are poised to take advantage of a number of opportunities that we only dreamed about a decade ago. To do so, we will have to surmount some entrenched, long standing opposition to organic agriculture. The good news is we know what we're up against, and we now have concrete evidence of what happens when we work together: the organic wins included in the Farm Act of 2008 clearly represent our most visible success to date. In addition, reports from the countryside suggest that regional alliances are allowing new farmers to succeed with CSAs; urban activists are reaching out to rural producers to build school lunch programs; and communities of all shapes and sizes are starting to embrace organic products. The time to build on our collaborative experiences and share our strength is now.
We need to identify new resources of information, grow our networks, and replicate our successes. We need round-table conversations and provocative panels that offer tangible solutions to difficult problems. We need a retreat environment that allows opposing points of view to be thoroughly discussed. At a minimum, we must build mutual respect for positions taken and make a commitment to keep the conversation going. As we talk, listen and learn, we are sure we'll arrive at a point where we can "shake hands" with an eye on the big organic picture.
The Organic Summit is again co-hosted by the Organic Farming Research Foundation and New Hope Natural Media will offer a dynamic program touching on the hot topics of today and those issues that will impact organic over the coming years. It will provide you with an inside look at the Obama USDA -- or maybe your interests run more towards synthetic biology and "illegal" fertilizer? Including "round table discussions" that take advantage of late breaking topics of interest and/or to provide background information on some of the more difficult challenges organic agriculture and industry face.
The Organic Farming Research Foundation is a financial beneficiary of the conference.
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