Chat - Amanda Raster

Below is another Fresh Talk chat conducted on Jan. 20 with Amanda Raster, sustainability standards development manager at the Leonardo Academy, Madison, Wis. Leonardo was recently affirmed by the Washington, D.C.-based American National Standards Institute as the developer of an agriculture sustainability standard.

3:01 PM Amanda: Hi, Tom. I am online if you are ready for the Q&A.
3:03 PM me: Great. Thanks for taking part in another Fresh Talk chat. I've appreciated your help as we've been trying to understand the sustainability standard setting process at the Leonardo Academy..... My first question is about your background. Are you a homegrown Wisconsonite?
3:06 PM Amanda: Yes. I grew up on a small, family-operated dairy farm in northcentral Wisconsin. My father inspired my life-long love of agriculture. Living in Wisconsin all my life has exposed me to a broad range of agricultural operations and growing practices.
3:07 PM me: But you didn't study dairy science at the University. Did you ever consider "going back to the farm" so to speak?
3:11 PM Amanda: Right - I wasn't necessarily interested in being a dairy farmer. I wanted to explore the social, environmental, and political aspects of farming and my cross-disciplinary studies certainly allowed me to do that. However, being part of this process to develop a sustainable agriculture standard is shedding light on the fact that there is much, much more to learn! So before I head back to the farm--which is a strong possibility in the future--I will probably head back for more schooling.
3:14 PM me: I see in your bio that you had two degrees from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. That's ambitious - what did you see in anthropology and conservation that were relevant to what you wanted to do?
3:15 PM Also, what was your career path after University to Leonardo?
3:20 PM Amanda: When I first started school, I -- like many others -- wasn't sure of the direction I wanted to take. I was very interested in rural issues and rural culture, but I didn't want to necessarily focus on that right away. So I pursued anthropology, which is more of a broad analysis of cultural dynamics and people's relationships to their surroundings and to society. I am finding this background knowledge to be more and more useful everyday. As more time went on, I kept hearing my father's voice asking me "What in the world are you going to do with an anthropology degree?" So I started taking environmental science classes, and eventually settled on the double major.
3:22 PM After graduating, I worked for a Madison-based farmers' cooperative, where I managed a community supported agriculture program. It was a true joy to work so closely with farmers who care about the food they grow, how they grow it, who they are growing it for.
3:23 PM me: Now you have been at Leonardo and are project manager for sustainability projects (correct me here if I'm wrong) What's a typical day and week like for you? What's the most rewarding thing about working on the ag sustainability project?
3:26 PM Amanda: You are correct that I manage Leonardo Academy's sustainability standards development program. The sustainable agriculture standard absorbs more of my time than the other projects we are working on, but I don't mind because it's what I am most passionate about.
3:30 PM A typical day really varies depending on what is happening with the standard. I receive emails and phone calls nearly every day from people who are interested in the process and want to know how they can get involved. Which, in my mind, is a very positive indicator that people see the potential benefits of having a sustainable agriculture standard and that our outreach is continuing to reach the people it should be. Working with the Task Forces has brought on a lot of additional work--I sit in on at least 2 to 4 conference calls every week, keep records of the conversations, and work with Task Force members to make sure that they have the materials and resources they need to move forward with their work. A lot of this work is communications-oriented. It's critical to be clear, concise, and efficient when working with such a large group of stakeholders, and I really enjoy the challenge all of this brings.
3:32 PM Of course, we also have to make sure that all of the work we are doing follows our standards development process, as well as ANSI's standard development rules, and that we are able to document a standard development process from start to finish. So there is a lot of administration that happens on a daily basis, as well.
3:33 PM me: That does sound like a big process to manage. One question some readers might have is whether "conventional" growers have equal footing and representation in the standard setting process. At the end of the day, do you think both organic and conventional growers will move ahead with consensus on this issue of sustainability standards?
3:36 PM Amanda: To be honest, both organic and conventional growers are concerned about their representation in this process. The Outreach Task Force recently did a gap analysis of the Standards Committee and determined that both industries do have equal representation on the Committee. And of course, we are encouraging stakeholders from all sectors to participate in the Task Forces and the subcommittees and other working groups that will be formed in the future.
3:39 PM Based on conversations that have occurred thus far within the Task Forces, I believe that both conventional and organic growers will take the opportunity throughout this to air out their issues and concerns and then work to establish principles and metrics that are agreed upon by all. What will likely happen is that the standard will take the form of a continuous improvement model to incorporate the range of sustainability practices utilized in both conventional and organic operations.
3:41 PM me: Very good. I've kept you quite a while so we should wrap up. Thanks for taking part in the chat and do you have a website to direct our readers to the work of your group? Thanks again and we'll have to do it again down the line.
3:42 PM Amanda: Sure. Readers can visit http://www.leonardoacademy.org/Projects/ansi.htm to learn more about the ANSI standards we are developing, including the sustainable agriculture standard.
3:43 PM me: Great. Thanks Amanda
Amanda: Thank you, Tom!

Leonardo Academy - no word yet

Just had a good conversation with Amanda Raster, project manager at the Leonardo Academy. No word yet about the ANSI hearing on Leonardo's status as standards developer for agricultural sustainability. She said ANSI has never removed accreditation status from any developer and Leonardo doesn't want to be the first. She said it is possible ANSI may provide a list of corrective measures for the group to proceed with....Amanda said she wasn't sure how or when the ANSI decision will be communicated.....Overall, I have the impression Leonardo has worked hard to answer USDA's objections... Raster says the soon coming stewardship/sustainability index should be able to co-exist with Leonardo's standard setting efforts.... stay tuned....

Leonardo Academy: First steps toward national consensus on sustainable agriculture have been taken

From the Leonardo Academy this afternoon. If the Leonardo Academy can effectively sell the process, it will be able to market the end result. Thus, a beginning:

Madison, WI (September 29, 2008) — The first successful steps toward developing a national consensus standard for sustainable agriculture in the United States have now been taken by a diverse, multi-stakeholder committee selected to lead this endeavor.

At an unprecedented opening session, more than 50 representatives of U.S. agricultural production, food and clothing manufacturing, retail, government, environmental and labor organizations, academia and certification launched historic negotiations over what should be considered “sustainable agriculture”. The representatives were selected from a pool of nearly 200 individuals who applied to serve on the Standards Committee, the guiding body for development of the standard.

During the meeting held last week, committee members identified some of the difficult issues that are likely to dominate the discussions to come, such as: 1) the relationship between organic, mainstream and sustainable agriculture; 2) the place of genetically engineered crops in sustainable agriculture; 3) the degree to which sustainable agriculture standards should establish a path for continuous improvement; 4) inclusiveness of small and mid-size farms, as well as mainstream and conventional agriculture; 5) the sequestration of carbon in soils and the role of agriculture in the global fight against climate change; 6) the strength of labor protections; 7) the intersection of product safety and sustainability; and 8) whether the scope of the standard should extend beyond plant agriculture to include livestock and other sectors of agriculture.

“The issues involved in sustainable agriculture are complex,” said Dr. James Barrett, Environmental Horticulture Department professor at the University of Florida, who served as interim chairman at the Standards Committee’s inaugural meeting. “As a result, there are many diverse, valid points of view that will need to be articulated and considered as this process unfolds.”

The entire standard setting process is being conducted under the rules of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the national voluntary standards body that has overseen the development of thousands of guidelines in nearly every business sector. Leonardo Academy, a non-profit organization that specializes in using market-based incentives to advance sustainability and improve the environment, is facilitating the current process as an ANSI accredited standard developer.

“We were impressed not only by the depth of knowledge and understanding reflected in the thoughtful comments and deliberations of the Committee but also by the level of respect for one another’s viewpoints and concerns, and the willingness at this early stage to seek common ground,” said Michael Arny, Leonardo Academy president. “The tone set here in Madison bodes well for the success of the process moving forward.”

Among the actions taken by the Standards Committee was an agreement to form work groups charged with the following tasks:

1. Conduct a needs assessment for the sustainability standard, including potential market and agricultural applications

2. Review and articulate the mission, principles and scope of work ahead
3. Collect reference documents to inform the standard setting process
4. Report on potential methodologies and indicators for measuring various aspects of environmental, social and economic sustainability;

5. Identify potential funding sources to support full stakeholder participation in the process

6. Outline outreach opportunities for soliciting involvement from all affected stakeholders

In addition, the Standards Committee acknowledged “the extensive effort and hard work of SCS to initiate the discussion on sustainability.” The Committee further agreed to recognize and set aside the Draft Standard for Trial Use (SCS-001), published by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) as a vehicle for initiating the broader standard-setting dialogue, as one of several reference documents expected to be used in its future standards development deliberations,

“We appreciate the acknowledgement of the Committee and are delighted that the draft standard has helped to stimulate this national dialogue and to get the ball rolling toward the development of a consensus standard,” said Linda Brown, Executive Vice President of Scientific Certification Systems and Standards Committee member. “Looking ahead, the draft standard will continue to inform the process, both as a reference document and through real world examples of companies who are already meeting its requirements and adopting new sustainability practices in accordance with its provisions.”

According to Michael Arny, ANSI rules allow all interested stakeholders to participate in subcommittee deliberations as the standard development process moves forward. In addition, ANSI gives the public an opportunity to weigh in through a formal public review process before the draft final standard is submitted to ANSI for promulgation as an American National Standard.

Leonardo Academy is currently seeking charitable contributions to fund its work on this standard development initiative and to support active participation by the full range of stakeholders in the process. For more information, please contact Amanda Raster at Leonardo Academy (608-280-0255, amanda@leonardoacademy.org).

For more information on the first Standards Committee meeting, including the approved motions and a list of Standards Committee members, visit: http://www.leonardoacademy.org/Projects/SustainAgStdDevelopment.htm.

What is sustainable agriculture? - The dialogue begins with the Standards Committee

Ryan Kane here in the office just forwarded me this very important news release. Big questions remain about the inclusivness of the group, though a committee of 58 should bring a broad spectrum of views to the table. From the release:

(August 14, 2008) Emeryville, CA — The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) process to develop a national standard for sustainable agriculture will take another important step forward this September as the newly formed Standards Committee meets to establish its work plan and form the Subcommittees that will negotiate the contents of the final standard.

The 58 individuals on the Standards Committee will take the reins of the standard-setting process at the first Standards Committee meeting, to be held in Madison, Wisconsin next month. The Standards Committee includes farmers, both large and small, representing conventional, organic and other alternative agriculture perspectives, as well as wholesalers and retailers. Also represented on the committee are major industry associations, as well as academic researchers, regulators, and environmental and labor representatives.

“This is an exciting moment, as it sets the stage for the first national discussion about sustainable agriculture, and the many important issues encompassed by this concept,” said Michael Arny, president of Leonardo Academy, the ANSI-accredited standards development organization charged with shepherding the process forward. “There are still ample opportunities for additional stakeholders to participate by applying to work on the various Subcommittees, and later during the public review and comment process. The ANSI process is an open process that welcomes everyone.”

Sustainability is widely understood to encompass environmental, social, and economic parameters, dating back to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992. For agricultural products, safety and quality parameters are also a key part of the sustainability discussion. SCS-001, the draft standard that will serve as the starting point for discussions, also addresses the impacts of product packaging, the responsibilities of the supply chain, and agricultural practices that can minimize greenhouse gases.

“We would like to congratulate Leonardo Academy on the incredible job they’ve done in selecting a balanced, multi-stakeholder task group to serve on the Standards Committee,” said Linda Brown, executive vice president of Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). “The commitment of so many talented individuals to participate in a constructive, forward-looking sustainability dialogue bodes well for a process that will help guide sustainability practices for years to come. We look forward to taking our seat at this table among these exceptional individuals.”

According to Arny, the Leonardo Academy’s aims is to guide a process that supports continuous improvement over time in a measurable and transparent manner, with sufficient flexibility to take into account the changes that inevitably occur in ecosystems, and the production variables associated with different agricultural regions.

“This standard could serve many beneficial uses,” said Arny. “It could stimulate better understanding of sustainability dynamics, provide a roadmap for practical improvement, and establish a credible infrastructure and procedures for meaningful verification of claims.”

Remote access to meetings for participants at both the Standards Committee and Subcommittee levels will remove barriers to participation for members who are not able to travel to meetings. This will also help reduce the energy burden and lower the carbon footprint of the standard setting process itself.

“The challenges ahead are significant, including regional variables, important product sector distinctions, concerns that the interests of small and mid-scale farmers be protected, and awareness that standards must remain flexible enough to encourage continuing innovation,” Brown observed. “Likewise, there is a growing recognition that sustainability is itself a journey, one that ultimately involves relationships along the entire value chain, from grower to consumer. And there are still many unknowns, because our understanding of sustainability evolves along with our increasing knowledge about the risks to the environment. But it is these very challenges that provide the most compelling reasons for stakeholders to join in this national sustainability dialogue.”

Last call: applications to serve on Standards Committee that will finalize a national standard for sustainable agriculture

This process of creating a "sustainability standard" has fought controversy from its inception, but this "last call" seems to reach out to dissenters who would like to provide input and balance to a sustainable standard that some fear will be too heavily skewed toward organic agricultural practices. Another question: will this standard "stick" once in place? Or will there be another?



Madison, Wisconsin July 1, 2008 -- This week marks the final opportunity to submit applications to serve on the Standards Committee that will finalize a national standard for sustainable agriculture under the auspices of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Applications are due on Monday, July 7th, following an unprecedented 15-month public outreach period to inform stakeholders of the opportunity to participate in the development process of this landmark standard.
The goals of establishing a national standard for sustainable agriculture practice include: 1) defining sustainability practices and indicators throughout the agricultural supply chain on a life-cycle basis, 2) distinguishing best practices in crop production and handling, 3) guiding producers and handlers through stages of incremental improvement, 4) providing a common set of metrics to gauge sustainability progress and 5) setting a reference benchmark for private sustainability efforts. Working within ANSI's open consensus process, this national standardization initiative will provide a forum for discussing and vetting differences over what sustainability means within the agricultural sector.
Role of the Standards CommitteeAlthough there are a limited number of seats available on the Standards Committee--the voting body for the standard--all applicants will be able to participate on subcommittees addressing the key issues outlined in the current draft, as well as other issues identified by stakeholders. The final draft standard will be subject to public review and comment prior to submission to ANSI. Ultimately, the Standards Committee will decide what is in the final standard that will be submitted for approval as an American National Standard. For this reason, all interested parties and stakeholders-such as growers, processors, food service organizations, retailers, government representatives, consumer groups, NGOs, labor groups and representatives, and other interested parties-are encouraged to apply. Stakeholders interested in working on specific advisory subcommittees are also encouraged to submit applications.
How to ApplyApplications for participation should be submitted to the Leonardo Academy-a neutral third-party ANSI-accredited organization dedicated to advancing sustainability through the competitive market-no later than 5 pm on Monday, July 7th. Applications will be reviewed in full in order to achieve a balance dispersion of qualifications and expertise on the Standards Committee. Committee members will be announced on Monday, July 28th, and the first Standards Committee meeting will be held on September 10th (time and location to be announced). Applications and background information regarding the draft standard are available at: http://www.leonardoacademy.org/Projects/Su stainAgStdDevelopment.htm.
For more information, contact:
Leonardo Academy
Amanda Raster
Project Manager
development-scs-1@leonardoacademy.org
608-280-0255

Ready or not: A sustainable standard

The debate over the merits of continuous improvement model versus sustainability "best practices" may be moot. Backers of the "best practices" model are first to the market. Read on:


Wisconsin May 20, 2008 What could be the first national standard for sustainable agriculture in the United States - the Sustainable Agriculture Practice Standard for Food, Fiber, and Biofuel Crop Producers and Agricultural Product Handlers and Processors (SCS-001) Draft Standard for Trial Use - was re-announced in the May 16, 2008 edition of ANSI Standards Action. This comprehensive standard for sustainable agriculture addresses the sustainability impacts of agricultural production and encompasses the entire agricultural product supply chain, including suppliers, seed providers, growers, processors, distributors, retailers, and end- users. As such, key objectives of the standard development process will be to establish best practices in sustainable crop production and handling and to develop a set of metrics that encourages continued improvement of the environmental, social, and economic sustainability impacts of agricultural products, at all levels of the supply chain.
With such an integrated scope as this, SCS-001 has the potential to revolutionize agriculture in the United States. Michael Arny, president of Leonardo Academy said: "Sustainability standards have a positive impact on markets because they create an easy-to-use common language for sustainability commerce. When the hard work of developing an ANSI-approved sustainable agriculture standard is completed by the Standards Committee, the final standard will make it easy for sellers to communicate the sustainability of the products they produce and deliver and easy for buyers to specify and identify the sustainability of the products they want to purchase. The US Green Building Council's LEED® standard for sustainable buildings has revolutionized the 'green' building industry and serves as a model of how this sustainability standard for agricultural products-when finalized-will revolutionize the market for sustainable agricultural products."
Due to its potential to transform American agriculture, Leonardo Academy has re-announced the DSTU for this standard to ensure that all materially affected and interested parties are aware of this draft standard for sustainable agriculture practices and the opportunity to participate in the standard development process. Awareness of the DSTU also gives materially affected interests the opportunity, if they so choose, to challenge the decision to register this DSTU with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). In conjunction with the DSTU re-announcement, the deadline for applications to participate on the Standards Committee and advisory subcommittees has been re-extended to July 7, 2008 to allow everyone interested in participating in the process additional time to apply. Standards Committee members will be announced July 28, and the first meeting of the Standards Committee will be held on September 10. To facilitate the process of developing this standard, Leonardo Academy has also updated its ANSI standard development constitution, which is currently under review for ANSI approval.
Since September 2007, Leonardo Academy has conducted extensive outreach to increase awareness of this DSTU and has developed a contact list of 1400 interested and potentially affected parties. To date, 70 applications have been submitted to participate on the Standards Committee or advisory subcommittees. All interested and materially affected stakeholders-such as growers, farm organizations, food processors, food service companies, retailers, government representatives, consumer groups, environmental organizations, NGOs, labor groups and representatives, and other interested parties-have a role to play in shaping the final standard that will be submitted to ANSI for approval and are encouraged to apply.
The Draft Standard for Trial Use, committee application form, information on the time commitment for committee members and frequency/location of committee meetings, as well as more information about this initiative, can be found at: http://www.leonardoacademy.org/Projects/SustainAgStdDevelo pment.htm. Applications for participation should be submitted no later than Monday, July 7, 2008. Applications will be reviewed in full in order to achieve a balanced dispersion of qualifications and expertise on the Standards Committee. All applicants will be informed of their committee status no later than Monday, July 28, 2008.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
To learn more, please visit the Sustainable Agriculture Practice Draft Standard for Trial Use web page.

ANSI and Leonardo

The American National Standards Institute Inc. is getting a bit of attention from the Pundit over its standard setting activities for sustainable agriculture. Here is a link to the group's IRS 990 form, and it shows a non profit group with about a $17 million budget in 2005 ($22 million now) and some $7.8 million in assets in 2005. Here is the letter that dozens of farm groups, notably Farm Bureau, wrote to ANSI relating to concerns about draft sustainability standards. Here are their concerns, from the Jan. 31 letter. Here, from the letter published by the Pundit:

We are writing in follow-up to our conversation on January 17th with Anne Caldas of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to express our concern about the process used to establish the proposed American National Standards Institute Draft Standard for Sustainable Agriculture for Trial Use. We understand the Leonardo Academy’s desire to generate and harmonize sustainability standards. It is unfortunate, however, that this standard with its important implications for American agriculture was processed in this manner. We are concerned that the ANSI process has not been followed and that this may have already led to irremediable defects in terms of ANSI’s ability to receive approval.
Stakeholder concerns and the controversial nature of the standard make procedural issues of utmost importance.
* It equates organic practices with best agricultural practices, a conclusion that would be soundly rejected by many in the scientific community and an issue that will provoke intense debate between the organic and conventional agricultural communities.
* It rejects the use of biotechnology, perpetuating scientifically unsound and overly precautionary approaches that have been rejected by ma y governments, including our own, and which have provoked significant trade concerns.

TK: There are more objections to the process of setting sustainability standards, which is being spearheaded by the Lenoardo Academy with assistance from SCS. The 990 form for the Leonardo Academy show a Madison, Wi.-based (liberal bastion) non profit with a budget of $421,000 and assets of just $119,000 in 2006.

Here is what Leonardo's Web site says about current standard setting work:

Leonardo Academy is a member of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), an organization that coordinates the development and use of voluntary consensus standards in the United States, and is an ANSI Accredited standards developer. Leonardo Academy is currently developing an ANSI standard for emission reductions and offsets and is working with Scientific Certification Systems on a Sustainable Agriculture Practice Standard.

TK: Farm groups are wise to go to the power-wielding ANSI with their concerns, though I question how much traction and buy-in this sustainability standard would have, even with the blessing of ANSI. I don't think the vast majority of consumers are connecting to this issue - not just yet, anyway.