Seven replacements were recently appointed to the Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee but none represent floriculture, which lost a seat when Hans Brand of B&H Flowers left the committee with six others.
The newly appointed standard committee members are:
– Steve Flick, Show Me Energy Cooperative
–Bill Norman, National Cotton Council
–Kindley Walsh Lawlor, Gap Inc.
–Andrew Manale, Soil and Water Conservation Society/USEPA
–LaRhea Pepper, Organic Exchange
–Dr. John Fagan, Earth Open Source/Global ID Group
–Douglas Constance, Sam Houston State University
Flick was added to the producer category; Norman and Walsh Lawlor were added to the user category; Manale, Pepper and Fagan were added to the environmentalist category; and Constance was added to the general interest category.
Now representing floriculture on the committee are the following industry people:
Producers
Ximena Franco-Villegas, Asocoflores
Mark Yelanich, Metrolina Greenhouses
Users
Will Healy, Ball Horticultural Company
General Interest
Alvin J. Bussan, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Horticulture
Stan Pohmer, Pohmer Consulting Group
Jim Barrett, University of Florida Environmental Horticulture Department
Linda Brown of Scientific Certification Systems and Jacques Wolbert of MPS-ECAS, both of whom represent sustainability certification services within our industry, are also on the committee as part of the general interest category.
The objective of the National Sustainable Agriculture Standard initiative is to establish a comprehensive, continual improvement framework and common set of economic, environmental and social metrics by which to determine whether an agricultural crop has been produced in a sustainable manner.
“As we move into the next phase of the standards-setting process, which will focus primarily on criteria development and indicator and metrics identification, expertise and input outside of the committee will be essential,” says Amanda Raster, Sustainable Agriculture Standard project manager. “We encourage all process participants to reach out to their constituents and continue to engage them in this important work.”
To sign up for the subcommittees, apply for observer status, learn more about participating in the public review and comment process or to join the Sustainable Agriculture Standard e-mail list, contact Raster at Leonardo Academy at amanda@leonardoacademy.org.