1. Accelerating Progress Toward a Sustainable Agriculture September 16, 2010 Margaret Krome Policy Program Director, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

2. Report: Drivers, Constraints Markets Policy Research

3. Applying Familiar Principles of Sustainable Systems Diversify strategies, stakeholder groups Adapt to changing conditions – emerging issues, dynamic political landscape and budgets Capture synergies between strategies of Markets, Policy and Research and between creating programs and building constituencies that help build more programs, better policies Optimize resources – NGO capacity, funding, political support, media

4. Constraints Entrenched special interests around status quo Culture of some in conventional agriculture premised on binary, we/they thinking Opacity for consumers about who/what IS sustainable Diverse stakeholders, too many issues can create fractured messages, strain limited staff & resources Tight agency budgets Lack of litigation capacity

5. What’s gotten us this far? Assets: Growing consumer support Stakeholders of sust ag programs who advocate for new programs, new policies Converging interests among diverse stakeholders Health care concerns – e.g., obesity, heart disease – and their linkage to food system Corporate sustainable ag stakeholders’ investments in advancing sust ag A good story (farmers, consumers), media interest

6. What’s gotten us this far? Assets: Programs that reward sustainability – e.g., CSP, Programs that listen to and assemble stakeholders, e.g., SARE $$ (gov’t, private) that supports NGOs, grassroots Grassroots support base, including social media Alliances (some that puncture stereotypes) Top notch policy advocacy in Washington, D.C. Elbow grease by NGOs – on authorizations, program implementation, appropriations

7. Some gaps impeding acceleration: Grassroots capacity to optimize media interest Litigation capacity Steady funding – programs, NGOs Research – sufficient, balanced funding for a comprehensive agenda Underserved stakeholders engaged in leadership of triad: policy, marketing, research Next generation of policy leaders

8. Translating to early ideas on Farm Bill agenda Chart the future through comprehensive research (e.g., publicly funded work on seeds and breeds), outreach (e.g., strengthen Extension) Subsidize sustainability goals unapologetically, for example: – Support green payments, enforce conservation compliance – Build markets – all scales Funding for grants, loan programs Transparency – direct markets, standards

9. Early ideas on Farm Bill : (cont’d) Subsidize sustainability’s goals (cont’d) – Expand organic research, conservation, assistance – Expand beginning farmer /rancher programs – Provide fair access to underserved stakeholders – Restructure commodity programs to support sustainable agriculture practices, systems – Provide for fair producer contracts – Press for balanced food safety regulations – Incorporate sustainable ag into nutrition title

10. Reframing National Agriculture Policy Based on 4 Goals: Satisfy human food, feed and fiber needs, and contribute to biofuel needs Enhance environmental quality and the resource base Sustain the economic viability of agriculture Enhance the quality of life for farmers, farm workers and society as a whole Remember: sustainable agriculture is not an interest group.

11. Thank you.