New Science Advisory Council Looks to Shape the Future of Sustainability Measurement
Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 21, 2016 -- Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture announced today the launch of its Science Advisory Council focused on informing Field to Market’s science-based approach to delivering sustainable outcomes at the field and landscape levels.
Twelve leading experts from the scientific community will lend their knowledge and expertise to guide Field to Market’s staff and diverse membership from across the food and agricultural supply chain as they continue to develop a sustainability standard for U.S. commodity crop production that helps catalyze continuous improvement in environmental outcomes.
Field to Market’s Science Advisory Council comprises the following members:
• Ed Barnes, senior director, Agriculture and Environmental Research, Cotton Incorporated;
• Bruno Basso, professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University;
• Marlen Eve, national program leader – soil and air, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service;
• Sasha Gennet, senior scientist, The Nature Conservancy;
• Patricio Grassini, assistant professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln;
• Marty Matlock, executive director, Office for Sustainability, University of Arkansas;
• Eileen McLellan, senior scientist, Ecosystems Program, Environmental Defense Fund;
• Cliff Snyder, nitrogen program director, International Plant Nutrition Institute;
• Ed Spevak, curator of invertebrates, St. Louis Zoo;
• Mark Tomer, research soil scientist, USDA’s National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment;
• Chris van Kessel, distinguished professor, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California – Davis; and
• Tristram West, senior technical advisor, U.S. Department of Energy
“As Field to Market continues to refine and expand our Supply Chain Sustainability Program in the U.S., we are committed to developing greater involvement from and connections with the scientific community,” said Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market. “This Council will strengthen Field to Market’s science-based approach by providing expert guidance on complex sustainability issues of importance to the entire food and agricultural supply chain.”
A core principle for Field to Market’s multi-stakeholder membership is to ensure its approach to measuring, monitoring and reporting on environmental outcomes is grounded in the best available science.
“These Council members bring together a wide range of expertise, leadership and experience in academic disciplines and research topics most relevant to Field to Market’s sustainability metrics,” said Allison Thomson, Field to Market’s science and research director. “We’re thrilled to have these experts provide independent, science-based guidance to our team and our more than 100 members as we continue to refine our science-based approach and scale our program.”
Field to Market’s program centers around science-based metrics for environmental sustainability that focus on outcomes within a grower’s control: Biodiversity; Energy Use Efficiency; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Land Use Efficiency; Soil Carbon; Soil Conservation; Water Quality; and Water Use Efficiency.
For more information on Field to Market’s Science Advisory Council, please visit http://bit.ly/FTMSAC.
ABOUT FIELD TO MARKET
Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, beverage, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups; universities and public sector partners to focus on defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, fiber and fuel production. Field to Market is comprised of more than 100 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with members employing more than 5.3 million people and representing combined revenues totaling over $1.3 trillion. For more information, visit https://www.fieldtomarket.org and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/FieldtoMarket.
Betsy Hickman, Field to Market, http://www.fieldtomarket.org, +1 202-802-6477, [email protected]
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