Rocket Blog

Sustainability: Standards, Challenges, and Where It's Headed

Sustainability has become a big buzzword in agriculture lately as more growers and suppliers seek out ways to have less impact on the planet.   As recognized by our recent Veriflora certification, Rocket Farms has actively sought out sustainable practices for a long time, and it’s an issue we genuinely care about. 

Greenhouse Grower has been posting a lot on the subject lately, perhaps gearing up for the Sustainability Summit that they plan to host December 8-10 in Monterey, California (that Rocket Farms looks forward to participating in).  Some articles illustrate the growing momentum to embrace sustainable practices and learn more about the issue, while some highlight the challenges that sometimes come with sustainability. 

For example, they reported that agricultural representatives withdrew en masse last week from the Leonardo Academy’s sustainable agriculture standard setting initiative, citing systemic limitations and chronic anti-agriculture biases inherent in the writing committee structure set up.  Ten out of the approximately 60 total representatives withdrew, representing a solid blow to the initiative.  

One of those members, Ron Moore of the American Soybean Association and acting chair of the Leonardo Academy’s standard committee, explained, “This decision was not made easily… However, farmers will embrace a standard for sustainability only if they are allowed fair representation in its development. Unfortunately, mainstream agriculture has been given a decidedly minor voice in a Leonardo Academy process dominated by others. We will pursue, in another venue, the development and implementation of a valid approach to agricultural sustainability.”

On a more positive note, this Monday a team of North American horticultural experts kicked off  “The Sustainability Initiative,” touring firms in The Netherlands involved in state-of-the-art sustainable horticultural science, technology and more.  For five days, the participants will discuss what they're seeing- from genetic seed modification to controlled environment greenhouse innovation, sustainability funding and long-range innovation philosophies- and how it relates to the broader world of horticulture.

Their site, www.thesustainabilityinitiative.org, is intended to serve not only as a communications center for the trip, but also as an ongoing open virtual meeting place where interested parties can share ideas, reports, videos and images and general updates on issues, especially technological and practical issues, in sustainable horticulture today.

So what do you think?  Is it important to you that growers create standards around sustainability?  Perhaps more importantly, are you willing to pay a premium for crops grown in a sustainable manner? 

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