Next week, the 2016 Sustainable Agriculture Summit will convene leaders from across the agricultural value chain to create the premier sustainability event for production agriculture. Field to Market, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the National Pork Board, the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef are joining together to host the event. The Summit brings together diverse stakeholders from across the food and agricultural supply chain to discuss …
Poking the Sacred Cow
Peggy and I took our annual vacation to the Northeast region of the United States (as I mentioned in my last post) and one of our stops was a tour of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury, Vermont. Wow, a tour of an ice cream factory! How could this possibly be a disappointment? I have long admired Ben & Jerry’s business, with its strong commitment to social responsibility—to their employees, the community, and the world at large. To my knowledge, Ben & Jerry’s is one of the first companies to identify Corporate Social …
Taking Action Toward Sustainability – Pt 2
This is one in a series of posts covering what a few progressive ag retailers are doing to address sustainability in their organizations. This week we will take a look at GROWMARK’s sustainability initiative endure which focuses on practices that endure over time to make the most prudent use of natural resources to enhance customer profitability and environmental longevity. GROWMARK As GROWMARK leaders discussed the company’s endure sustainability initiative before it launched earlier this year, they realized they could best promote …
Taking Action Toward Sustainability Pt 1
This is one in a series of posts covering what a few progressive ag retailers are doing to address sustainability in their organizations. This week we will take a look at The Andersons, Inc., a diversified company rooted in agriculture conducting business across North America in the grain, ethanol, plant nutrient, rail, and retail sectors. The Andersons, Inc. If you want to know what it feels like to be in a squeeze shoot you can either listen to someone who has been in one or you can try one out for yourself. Trust me; it’s easier to …
Are Sustainability Programs a Bait and Switch?
Don’t let your sustainability program become a bait and switch.I know that ag retailers start building their sustainability program with their customers (farmers) in mind. But make sure you know what problem your customer is trying to solve before offering a solution. Sometimes what starts with good intentions doesn’t always turn out as planned. As a trusted advisor, make sure you do your research before investing in a sustainability program. Don’t put yourself in a corner by unknowingly articulating recommendations to solve Situation A, …
Circle the Wagons
Circle the wagons…An expression “…traditionally used by 19th century American settlers traveling to the West in convoys of Conestoga wagons. When faced with attack, such as by hostile Native American tribes, the travelers would rapidly form a circle out of their wagons, bringing the [vulnerable]… to the center of the circle….This tactic was popularly known as "circling up the wagons", and survives into the modern day as an idiom describing a person or group preparing to defend themselves from attack or criticism.” …