Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
April 3, 2013
- Measurable improvements help ag make case for sustainability
- Syngenta program helps growers track and document progress
Syngenta is developing new ways to make on-farm sustainability efforts measurable. In an environment where major retailers and general consumers seek goods and services that they deem to be green, this initiative can help growers gain a real marketing advantage.
“In the past, the tendency has been to define sustainability based on consumer perceptions,” said Jennifer Shaw, Ph.D., head of Sustainable Sourcing at Syngenta. “Instead, we need to define it based on science that includes metrics to measure our performance.”
For more than 10 years, the AgriEdge Excelsior® program from Syngenta has helped participating growers boost their profitability by uncovering the right mix of products and production practices for their farms. Today, the program serves as the foundation for several Syngenta pilots, partnering with Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, that are mapping out ways to measure and improve a farm’s overall environmental footprint.
In the pilot studies, critical measures, such as land use, water, soil and greenhouse gas emissions, are used to establish baseline environmental footprints. This process builds a foundation for changes in practices associated with tillage, irrigation, harvesting and crop inputs that can lessen that footprint over time.
The program is not only good for the land. It also makes good business sense for participating growers whose improvements in resource use can give them a differentiator when it comes to marketing their crops. Companies like Walmart, General Mills, Pepsi and McDonald’s are under increasing pressure to minimize their impact on the environment. As a result, they are looking at their suppliers—including those closest to the farm—to document benchmarks.
“Creating those metrics is an important step toward improving agriculture’s collective environmental footprint,” Shaw said. “What growers, ag retailers and other ag professionals choose to do or not do can make a lasting impression on the lives of future generations and our planet.”
For more information on the AgriEdge Excelsior® program, go to www.farmassist.com/agriedge. Follow Syngenta on Twitter (@SyngentaUS) and Facebook (Facebook.com/FarmAssist).
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