US: Sustainability metrics too tight for every farm

The measurement of sustainability from one farm to the next farm seems almost impossible based on a single set of metrics or a tightly written definition. A large-scale potato producer brought the problem home better than any row-crop producer, although the problem persists for all farming, during the recent Bayer CropScience 2012 Ag Issues Forum.

Bob Meek, chief executive officer of Wada Farms Marketing Group, explained that applying the same sustainable techniques on every potato farm will not work. Each farm has to be handled differently to grow potatoes.

The 2012 Ag Issues Form took place on February 28 – 29 in Nashville, Tennessee, where top researchers, industry experts and farmers from across the U.S. provided insights and answers to the tough questions currently facing agriculture. Topics ranged from food waste and global hunger to weed resistance and sustainability programs.