Far more than a buzzword, “sustainability” is a term and a concept that we’re all hearing more about, and for good reason. After all, what can be more important than meeting the needs of today while making sure we’re not compromising the future? Especially for farmers and ranchers, many of whom want to pass their farming and ranching operations down to the next generation.
Even if you’re totally on board with the importance of sustainability, it can be daunting to consider what role you can play to move the needle in such a big conversation. The Animal Agriculture Alliance recently hosted a webinar as part of our 2022 Stakeholders Summit that posed just that question – “Sustainability: Where are we going, and how can we all help get there?” The three panelists shared what companies, organizations and farmers and ranchers of all sizes are all doing to demonstrate and achieve continuous improvement across all three pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic and social).
There were some exciting advancements shared, such as the fact that U.S. pork production has improved in the past six decades by using 75% less land, 25% less water and 7% less energy. Pig farmers have some ambitious goals to go even further, including reducing their GHG emissions by 40% from a 2015 baseline by 2030. Companies are also getting in on the sustainability game. For example, Elanco has a new UpLook tool that estimates greenhouse gas emissions and identifies key drivers of an operation’s carbon footprint with the potential to evolve to other sustainability indicators in the future.
If you’re just getting started with your farm, company or organization’s approach to sustainability, you’re not alone – about half of our webinar attendees also reported being early on in the process. It might seem daunting, but the speakers offered insights for taking a sustainable approach to tackling sustainability. Their suggestions included making sure there is support for sustainability efforts at all levels, including executive support, but assigning a point person to take leadership and make sure sustainability goals are aligned with broader organizational objectives. As part of that goal-setting, determine what your objectives are and make sure they are SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound). And once your goals are set, track progress and trends. More than once the speakers stressed the importance of setting metrics and measuring progress. Once you have made some strides, make sure to communicate and share the great news!
Hopefully these tips will help you get started or take the next step on your sustainability journey. After all, we’ll need everyone in animal agriculture to come together to help continue to make meat, poultry, dairy and eggs the proteins of choice for healthy diets and a healthy planet.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Sustainability: It’s More than a Buzzword in Animal Agriculture
It’s Time to Get on the Bus: National Pork Board Unveils Sustainability Goals
Pig Farmers Commit to Sustainability: Here’s the Proof
