Oct 21, 2010
Ag Groups Pull Out of Sustainability Standard InitiativeSource: GPN

During the week of Oct. 18, 2010, 10 committee members resigned from the Leonardo Academy’s initiative to develop a sustainable agriculture standard for the American National Standards Institute. Approximately 45 additional commodity and farm organizations representing U.S. production agriculture interests also withdrew from the Leonardo Academy’s process.

Last week 10 committee members resigned from the Leonardo Academy’s initiative to develop a sustainable agriculture standard for the American National Standards Institute. Approximately 45 additional commodity and farm organizations representing U.S. production agriculture interests also withdrew from the Leonardo Academy’s process.

The groups expressed frustration with the biases against modern agriculture and in the structure that had been set up to develop and write the standard.

The National Standard for Sustainable Agriculture has been under development since 2007. Since then, the 58-member committee “who represent a broad range of perspectives from across all areas of agriculture” including floriculture, have been working to hammer out a standard that works for everyone.

Representing the floriculture industry’s interests on the standard committee are: Jim Barrett, University of Florida; Stan Pohmer, Pohmer Consulting Group; Mark Yelanich, Metrolina Greenhouses; Ximena Franco-Villegas Asocolflores; and Will Healy, Ball Horticultural Co.

GPN’s consulting editor and committee member Dr. Jim Barrett told GPN that the floriculture committee members were aware of and understood the decision of the agriculture organizations.

“It is important that mainstream agriculture be represented in the standard development process,” Barrett said.

He said many of the committee members are taking a wait-and-see approach to find out how things will work out and how Leonardo Academy will replace those members who have resigned.

GPN’s editorial advisor and Standards Committee member Stan Pohmer said, “A unified industry standard would be beneficial to the ag industry, including floriculture. However, it’s important that mainstream ag be an integral part of the development process. We’ll have to wait for the response from Leonardo Academy and see what producers they are considering as replacements before we can determine the future of this initiative.”

For previous coverage on the development of National Standard for Sustainable Agriculture in GPN, check out these articles: