1. Agricultural Sustainability
Farm and Food Care | Milton, Ontario | 15 April 2014

2. 1. Economically Viable
2. Environmentally Sound
3. Socially Beneficial

3. Sustainability
“Meeting the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own
needs.”
(Brundtland Report, 1987)

5. - More on-farm data collection
- More expensive
- Government financial
support
- 3rd
party verification
- Governance through large
corporations (Walmart)
- Built on trust (little 3rd
party
verification)
- Low cost
- Low robustness/market
acceptance
- Pioneers of sustainability
(RSPO, Bonsucro, RTRS)
- Widely accepted and
approved
- Focus on multistakeholder
approach
- “continuous improvement”
Geographic Trends

7. • Multi-stakeholder-led
• Producers, Industry, Societal Groups
• Industry/Consumer-focused
• Science-based
Roundtable on Responsible Soy

8. 1. Legal Compliance/Good Business Practices
2. Responsible Labour Conditions
3. Responsible Community Relations
4. Environmental Responsibility
5. Good Agricultural Practices
Roundtable on Responsible Soy

9. Expanding Sustainable Marketing
Through RTRS Pilot
Objectives
-Retain markets that are transitioning to RTRS-certification
-Organize a system to minimize burden on growers
-Set stage to build consensus nationally on sustainable agriculture
-Pilot model that can expand to whole-farm
-Expand market potential through sustainable reputation

10. Vision

11. Producer Incentive
• Long-term Reputation and Market Retention
• Little/No Premium
• Increase on-farm efficiencies (lowering bottom-line)
• Operational efficiencies
• Agro-chemical efficiencies
• “Proven” decision modelling
• Not an enhancement.

12. • Minimize burden on producer through funding,
innovative development and management techniques
• Encouraging on-farm sustainable development
• Facilitate access to all global markets to our producers,
not be limited by “sustainability”
• Communicate through Canadian embassies the
innovation of Canadian producers
GFO Involvement

13. GFO & Sustainable Development
Since July 2013…
•Developed RTRS National Interpretation
•Fieldprint Calculator Project (with Pulse Canada group & Serecon)
•Ontario Sustainability Working Group (member)
•Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops (member)
•Roundtable for Responsible Soy (member)
•Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (contributor)
•International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (contributor)

14. Challenges• Management of increased
assurance (“trust”)
• Little/no premium, but, costs
likely absorbed by processor
• More Retailers-Farmer
relationships
• Unification of corporate
strategies
Opportunities

15. Vision

16. Nick Betts, P.Ag. | Environment and Sustainability
Grain Farmers of Ontario
nbetts@gfo.ca | @SustainingAg Sustainability