Sustainable Agriculture

Guiding Principles for a Sustainable Future for U.S. agriculture.

Economic Viability

The broad definition of sustainability includes environmental, social and economic considerations, but any standard for sustainable agriculture must first and foremost be economically viable for the producer. No matter how environmentally conscious or socially aware a standard is, if it only adds production costs it is doomed to failure.

Flexible Science-Based Metrics

In a world where increasing input prices, shrinking water tables, climate change and a growing world population pose serious risks to food production we must be flexible in our approach to confronting these challenges. Setting goals for the efficient use of natural resources needs to be based on science and reason and must be conscious of the economic impact on producers, retailers and consumers.

A one size fits all standard is not appropriate. What may work in California may not work in Texas and what works in Illinois may not work in Florida. The standard must account for regional and local differences and make accommodations for individual solutions to the challenges we face.

The standard must be focused on delivering results that producers can measure rather than on processes. It should take into account the most important issues that producers face and focus on them. It should measure what matters.

The Standard Must be Technology Neutral

If we are truly concerned about the sustainability of our industry we must take a pragmatic look at our challenges and address them using every available option. For some this may be strict adherence to the National Organic Program. For others, it may be the use of precision agriculture, conventional agrochemistry and/or biotechnology. To deny any group the use of practices that are shown to increase sustainability would be a great disservice to this effort and to U.S. producers. Our goal should not be to further segregate the food system into smaller niche markets, but to find practical solutions that make agriculture more sustainable for the broad majority of producers by focusing on results, allowing for innovation and producer choice.