Abstract
Various sustainability initiatives and standard-setting initiatives are emerging in agricultural markets, along with laws enabling growers to manage impacts and legal barriers controlling abuses of such standards (i.e., greenwashing; Free Dictionary. Greenwash – definition of greenwash by the Free Online Dictionary. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/greenwash, 2012). This suggests how to anticipate demands for sustainability in supplying food, feed, biofuel, and fiber. A standard for sustainability can give growers a “safe harbor” from regulatory enforcement, allowing a more tailored approach to reducing environmental or worker safety impacts. More importantly, the “greening” of some customers in the food supply chain, along with demands from overseas buyers, is increasingly leading most US and EU food companies to impose contractual requirements for reporting on carbon emissions and other “sustainability” issues. A failure to respond can lead to a customer’s refusals to accept delivery or a missed opportunity to find a “safe harbor” in regulations.
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Redick, T.P. (2014). Sustainability Standards. In: Songstad, D., Hatfield, J., Tomes, D. (eds) Convergence of Food Security, Energy Security and Sustainable Agriculture. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, vol 67. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55262-5_3
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