Join us for a strategic discussion: Organic Systems & the Value Propostion for Long Term Sustainability
September 23, 2009 1:30pm - 5:00pm
Natural Products Expo East, Boston, MA
What can we say about the cumulative effects of transitioning to organic and the resulting impacts on public health, communities, and stewardship of the commons?
How do we effectively communicate these system-level impacts to advance public policy and the organic marketplace, and to mitigate criticism from those that question the benefits or organics?
Dr Timothy LaSalle, C.E.O.of the Rodale Institute will share the current state of research on organic systems and the multiple sustainability benefits.
Come to this thought provoking discussion to strategize with other organic business leaders on how the organic trade can best take advantage of this changing landscape to further our value proposition.
AGENDA
1:30pm Introductions
1:45pm Foundational Frameworks for Sustainability
Cradle to Cradle Design, The Natural Step, Natural Capitalism, and Triple Bottom Line. 2:30pm Current State of Research on Organic Systems & Multiple Sustainability Benefits ~ Timothy LaSallePhD, The Rodale Institute
The value proposition of organic systems for long term sustainability including:
1) Climate change, carbon sequestration, energy
2) Improvement of water quality and soil health
3) Protecting public health, improved food quality and
nutrition
4) Economic sustainability and long term yields, impacts
on farm incomes and rural development
5) Enhancing biodiversity 3:30pm Strategic Discussion ~ Facilitated by Cecil Wright, Organic Valley
- In what ways can we make the case for the organic trade as a strong platform for advancing social and environmental sustainability?
- What are the areas that we still need to work on improving our practices?
-What are the strategies for strengthening organic voices about the value of organic systems in policy?
-What are the opportunities for making the case for organics
and sustainability in the marketplace?
-What research and partnerships are needed?
This meeting is hosted by the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association. To RSVP for the meeting please contact: natalie_RW@ftsla.org or 541-852-0745
Our association exists to work directly with businesses in the organic food trade to build the skills and access the resources needed to transition toward innovative, environmentally and socially sustainable business models.
Every year we provide a variety of opportunities to learn from experts about the latest technology and tools, network with peers to share best practices, and access other valuable resources.
This August we are pleased welcome Melissa Schweisguth as our new Director of Membership Development and Education. Her focus will be developing and implementing valuable opportunities for member engagement and performance improvement.
This survey is designed to help the FTSLA to assess our members' current interests and resource needs, guiding our efforts for the coming year. Your feedback is much appreciated!
July 14, 2009--Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. is making a major jump into renewable energy with a $600 million investment in algae-based biofuels. Exxon is joining Synthetic Genomics Inc., to research and develop next-generation biofuels produced from sunlight, water and waste carbon dioxide by photosynthetic pond algae.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles-based OriginOil says it has developed a single-step process to transform algae into a true competitor to petroleum by slashing the energy it takes to extract oil from algae by as much as 90 percent. In addition to integrating this process into its own production system, it plans to commercialize the patent-pending process for use by others in the algae industry. Early testing indicates that the new algae oil extraction process, called Quantum Fracturing, uses electromagnetism and pH modification to break down algae cell walls. Once the cell walls are broken down oil and biomass separate by gravity, without requiring chemicals or significant capital expenditure for heavy machinery.
OriginOil recently filed for patent protection of the new algae oil extraction process, its seventh patent application. Dr Vikram Pattarkine, chief technical officer said: "With this new process, we have greatly improved on our previous harvesting technology. We now have a single device and process that we will optimize and scale up in upcoming trials for commercialization." The company, which also develops algae lighting and growth systems, hope to move into the production phase in 2010 with its modular stand alone oil producing systems.
Open Letter From Organic Minded Members of the ANSI Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee
On July 13, 2009, a group of organically like minded members of the ANSI Sustainable Agriculture Committee unofficially calling themselves the 'Earthworm Caucus' submitted the following open letter to the organic community in response to early critiques of the process:
Dear Friends:
We, the undersigned members of the ANSI Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee, are writing you to invite you to consider new developments and other factors, which foster conditions that warrant your immediate and sustained engagement in this process.
We have now concluded two formal meetings of this body, and believe that these discussions are of critical importance to the future of agriculture and to the ideals and visions of a truly sustainable food system that we all share.
When we chose to engage in this process, we were aware of, and to varying degrees shared, your concerns about it. Many of us have had private discussions with many of you in the last few months, and we believe that the time is ripe to ask for your direct engagement and support in this process. First, we offer the following responses to the points raised in your letter:
1. The need for this standard: Many of us came to the first meeting feeling unconvinced of the need for this standard. We all share concerns about the proliferation of illegitimate or confusing sustainable claims in the market, and the possibility of consumer confusion with a host of competing and contradictory labels. Sustainable agriculture standards are being developed in spite of the Leonardo process, and many of them are weak initiatives which promote the status quo. Therefore, the development of a standard which includes many of the basic principles of the sustainable agriculture movement - developed through a process which allows input from you and your organization - may provide an important and preferable alternative. The Needs Assessment Task Force has concluded their work and published a Statement of Need that earned the trust and support of organic and conventional participants in the process.
2. Unsuitability of standard setting to sustainable systems: While we generally agree that a "static, universal" standard is unsuitable for the concept of sustainable agriculture (or organic agriculture, for that matter), there is no reason that this one must become such a "one size fits all" standard. As you may know, the original SCS-001 Draft Standard for Trial Use was immediately set aside as another reference document by the Committee. The Mission and Principles Task Force, created at this first meeting, has identified several structural principles that would make the set of standards created reflect the overall principles and objectives of sustainable agriculture, and encourage all participants - no matter where they begin on the spectrum - to work toward the development of more sustainable systems. A key point of agreement among all participants is the principle of continual improvement, based on implementation of a site-specific farm plan.
3. Exclusiveness of committee composition: We believe that the Leonardo Academy, along with the current owner of the Standard, SCS,[1] did an outstanding job of reaching out to stakeholders, and that the current composition of the Committee reflects a reasonable balance of the many and diverse interests engaged in sustainable agriculture. Similar charges of exclusivity were made in an appeal filed by USDA with ANSI on behalf of conventional interests that called for revocation of Leonardo Academy's status as an ANSI standard developer. The appeal was denied, and the process has continued under the capable direction of Leonardo staff.
It should be noted that several of us have chosen to work on this project despite lack of resources to compensate our time, and that Leonardo is working to find funding to support us. Leonardo and SCS have also provided support for travel expenses for a few of us. There is no question that our constituency has historically been under-resourced, but this is a challenge we are accustomed to meeting. We believe that our most important resource is the network of organizations, farmers, researchers and institutions who have been actively engaged in developing and promoting sustainable agriculture over the last 30 years.
Please remember that any interested member of the public can participate in this process as an Observer, and engage fully in all debates and discussions that take place through activities of the Subcommittees and at any Standards Committee meeting. Most of this activity happens through inexpensive on-line discussions and phone conferences. The expense of participating as a voting member can be mitigated somewhat by proxy mechanisms, as long as in-person participation is at a level that conforms with the rules that govern the qualifications of participants. Observers serve a critical role in this process, and to the extent that our allies are willing to serve in this capacity we can both avert the dangers you point out and advance the prospects for "genuinely" sustainable agriculture.
4. Enforcement and verification: We agree that the standard will require a "structured and financed process for rigorous, ongoing verification" once it is close to being finalized. We estimate that this process alone will take a minimum of two, and probably more than five years. We also emphasize that this is and will likely remain a voluntary standard that can be used in a range of ways, only one of which might become a consumer end product label. We also expect that, as the standard develops, a key issue will be how to ensure that all requirements are verifiable and based on auditable criteria.
5. Competition with organic standards: Many of us are committed organic advocates with similar concerns, and believe that, without our active participation, the process could very well result in a competing "organic lite" standard. A strong awareness of the lessons learned from the experience of creating organic standards - beginning with establishing a set of principles that will form the basis for all criteria adopted - is essential to ensuring that the standard that emerges from this process serves to advance sustainability across the breadth of our nation's agriculture.
We believe that this process meets the requirements you suggest for:
A meaningful commitment to flexible, continuous, and transparent improvement of the standard to meet the real and constant changes inherent in ecosystems and across the nation's geography;
The inclusion of actual farmers, farm worker advocates and NGOs;
Commitment to raise sufficient funds to permit a broad and inclusive process, with stakeholders currently not represented.
Please refer to website for a complete directory of all documents and discussions, including minutes of meetings and conference calls, list of Standards Committee members and Observers with affiliations, and an extensive reference library.
Although you requested that this standard-setting process be cancelled, "pending the outcome of a national conversation about the most constructive way to cooperate among various existing standards related to sustainable agriculture," we believe that this is exactly the conversation that is taking place through this process, and would ask you to join us in participating.
This is a critical opportunity to engage in dialogue with those who represent the vast majority of American production agriculture. We believe that the process benefits from access to factual, science-based information and a network of allies committed to true agricultural sustainability. Only through working together can we hope to realize a standard that might benefit the majority of the American public.
Here are four options for contributing to the process:
Offer your expertise on a subcommittee, either as a Co-chair or participant. (Criteria Development - Economic Sustainability; Criteria Development - Social Sustainability; Criteria Development - Environmental Sustainability; Reference Library and Information [including inputs]; Structure and Process of Standard Development, Fundraising and Communications, Leadership Committee). To sign up, email. To discuss applying, contact one of the signatories on this letter.
Apply for a position on the Standards Committee. (Note: From time to time, there are vacancies and it is important to have allied contributors in cue should a position become available. It is anticipated that there may be vacancies and a Call for Applicants in late August or early September 2009.) To apply, email. To explore applying, call one of the signatories on this letter.
If you are unable to participate directly in the process through Committee or Subcommittee work, then please consider lending your expertise, behind the scenes, by serving as an informal subject matter expert.
Talk with your constituencies about the importance of this project and encourage them to participate.
Here is what you can expect from us:
We will invite you to participate in a conference call following each Standards Committee meeting. Please join us for a conference call on July 29, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific. During this call, we will update you on progress to date, discuss key issues, and respond to your questions. To RSVP, email.
We are available individually to provide whatever information you need and answer questions about the process.
If you have general questions, please email. Or, feel free to contact any of us individually.
Respectfully submitted, Molly Anderson, Bama Athreya, Annie Gardiner, Grace Gershuny, Luke Howard, Douglas B. Johnson, Jeff Moyer, Jim Pierce, Jesse Singerman, Margaret Wittenberg, Bill Wolf, Cecil Wright.
New Books: The Truth About Green Business by Gil Friend
The Truth About Green Business, new from FT Press's best-selling "The Truth About" series, is a comprehensive guidebook for executives and professionals wanting to set pro-active priorities for all aspects of their business, including operations, marketing, design, finance, and management, with triple bottom line focus.
Authored by Gil Friend, a pioneer of the "green business" trend since the 1970s, the book helps readers to work toward the ultimate business goal for the 21st century: making money while making sense - by combining astute business and environmental choices.
The Truth About Green Business offers 52 proven "green" strategies and bite-size, easy-to-use techniques that get results.
The book is filled with numerous real-world examples of green innovation from leading companies such as Wal-Mart, Patagonia, IKEA, and Hewlett-Packard.
Topics include:Green strategy, eco-efficient operations, green branding and eco-labels, designing new products and services, eco-audits and carbon footprinting, supplier scorecards and environmentally preferential purchasing, and green investment.
"Gil Friend not only makes a compelling argument for urgent adoption of sustainable business principles, but also builds a practical and understandable blueprint for action."-Gene Kahn, VP, Global Sustainability Officer, General Mills, Inc.
"Practical, inspiring, solutions-oriented, and simple without oversimplifying. A must-have playbook for finding the green business opportunities within your company or startup."-Christina Page, Director, Climate and Energy Strategy, Yahoo! Inc.
Contact Info
Natalie Reitman-White, Executive Director
541.852.0745 or info@ftsla.org
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