Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable released today a report entitled Climate Action in U.S. Agriculture: A Compendium of Field to Market Member Climate Commitments, which celebrates leadership and momentum on climate action while also underscoring how greater collective action is needed to respond to unprecedented challenges from climate related impacts. The report synthesizes public climate goals made by more than 85 Field to Market member organizations and unveils a shared vision from nine leading conservation organizations that defines key principles of meaningful climate action to match the scale and pace required by science. 

The report is released in conjunction with Field to Market’s Cross-Sector Dialogue, “Climate Action 2.0: The Next Decade of Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Climate Resilience Efforts in U.S. Agriculture” held as part of Climate Week NYC. Perhaps more than any other industry, farmers are uniquely positioned to deliver natural climate solutions. While other sectors such as transportation, energy and manufacturing can only limit the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere, better farming practices can sequester carbon in the soil – providing climate mitigation while also regenerating farmland for future generations. 

“We believe there is an important correlation between setting public targets, reporting on progress, and ultimately improving performance on key environmental indicators,” said Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market. “We are proud to see that more than half of our nearly 150 member organizations have set public goals on climate action, and we will continue providing pre-competitive tools and resources to the entire value chain to translate ambition into action.”

By gathering commitments into a single compendium, Field to Market enables companies and organizations within the food and agriculture sector to benchmark their ambition with peers, drive greater climate performance, facilitate pre-competitive collaboration, foster additional research where needed and promote transparency and accountability for these targets. 

“By setting public greenhouse gas reduction targets, the food and agriculture sector is demonstrating leadership and a commitment to future generations,” said Betsy Ward, President and CEO of the USA Rice Federation. “Through collaboration across the value chain, the industry is taking steps to help farmers build resilience and overcome the agronomic and financial risk associated with adopting conservation practices.”

The report also includes a joint statement, entitled A Shared Vision on Climate Action, released by nine leading conservation organizations represented in Field to Market’s Civil Society sector, which urges stakeholders from across the food and agriculture value chain to commit to meaningful climate action that is grounded in science. 

“I am proud to join with peers in the conservation community to signal the importance of ambitious climate action across the food and agriculture sector,” said Melissa Ho, Senior Vice President, Freshwater and Food, World Wildlife Fund. “While Field to Market’s research highlights that many organizations have made public commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, more work remains to meet these goals. The need to align these commitments with tangible action informed by science has never been more urgent.”

Signatories of the statement include American Farmland Trust, Conservation Technology Information Center, Ecosystem Services Market Consortium, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Initiative, National Association of Conservation Districts, Sand County Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund.

Through its tools and programs, Field to Market is committed to working across its diverse membership to help translate climate goals into tangible actions that drive progress at the field and landscape levels. The compendium will be updated on the Field to Market website as new member goals are released, with annual updates made to reflect the current state of the industry’s commitments.

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 nearly 150 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with members employing more than 5 million people and representing combined revenues totaling over $1.5 trillion.

For more information, please contact:

Carter Purcell Communications Manager

Phone: 2022978345

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture™ is a leading multi-stakeholder initiative working to unite the agricultural supply chain in defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, feed, fiber and fuel production in the United States. We bring together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, beverage, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups; universities; and public sector partners to create opportunities across the agricultural supply chain for continuous improvements in productivity, environmental quality, and human well-being. With the world population estimated to exceed 9 billion by 2050, the entire agricultural value chain must work together to efficiently and responsibly lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future. From the farm gate to the retail and restaurant counter, the challenge of producing enough food, feed, fiber and fuel for a rapidly growing population, while conserving our planet’s natural resources has become increasingly complex. The nature of this challenge requires an unparalleled level of transparency and collaboration. By uniting the agricultural supply chain and key stakeholders around a common measurement framework, Field to Market seeks to drive continuous improvement in the sustainability of commodity crop production.

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