Sustainable Agriculture Standard—Objective and Need

The objective of the sustainable agriculture standard-setting initiative is to establish a comprehensive, continuous improvement framework and common set of economic, environmental and social metrics by which to determine whether an agricultural crop has been produced and handled in a sustainable manner.

A national standard for sustainable agriculture has the potential to address a range of stakeholder needs, including supporting producer efforts to adopt sustainable production practices, establishing a framework for continuous improvement along the agricultural supply chain, providing a means of clear communication of sustainability achievements and harmonizing the myriad sustainable agriculture standards that are currently in place or in development. Read the Needs Assessment Task Force Brief to the Full Standards Committee for more information on the need for a sustainable agriculture standard.

 Announcements

Two Open Seats on the SCS-001 Standards Committee  -- Leonardo Academy is now accepting applications for two vacant seats on the National Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee, within the Environmentalist and General Interest categories. Individuals or representatives of organizations that are focused on preserving and improving the environment, along with government representatives; academics; researchers; representatives of labor groups, consumer groups and agricultural development NGOs; and other parties that do not fall under the Producer or User interest groups and that are interested in engaging in a national dialogue on sustainable agriculture, are encouraged to apply. (MORE)

Applying for the Committee -- Applications must be submitted by 12:00 pm CDT on Friday, April 9, 2010. The new Committee members will be announced on Monday, April 19, 2010. Individuals who have previously submitted applications for Committee membership will automatically be placed in the pool of applicants for the current openings. Download the Standards Committee Application here: (WORD) (PDF).

SCS-001 Subcommittees Open for Membership -- Leonardo Academy is now accepting applications for membership on the National Sustainable Agriculture Standard Subcommittees. The subcommittees will be exploring a range of key issues, engaging additional stakeholders, developing draft criteria and providing recommendations and guidance to the Standards Committee, the body charged with identifying, deliberating and building consensus around issues relevant to the standard under development, and determining the criteria that will be included in the framework of the final standard.

The following subcommittees are open for membership by all interested parties:

1. Criteria Development – Economic Sustainability
2. Criteria Development – Environmental Sustainability
3. Criteria Development – Social Sustainability
4. Structure and Process of Standard Development
5. Reference Library and Information
6. Fundraising and Communications

Applying for the Subcommittees -- Interested parties are required to submit an application for the subcommittee(s) of their interest. Individuals who have previously submitted applications do not need to reapply but should contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for further details. Download the Subcommittee Application here: (WORD) (PDF). We will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis from individuals who wish to participate in the Subcommittee work.

 Important Dates

• Subcommittee Teleconferences - Please visit the Sustainable Agriculture Standard project calendar for upcoming teleconference dates.
• SCS-001 Standard Development Timeline