Sustainability is terribly hard to define, which makes it an extremely complex topic and a difficult area to benchmark. Ask a room full of people to define sustainability and you’ll instantly see people start to fidget and squirm. Nobody wants to go first because the reality is, there isn’t a universal definition of sustainability. That’s concerning given how much attention the topic receives not only in our swine production industry, but in all industries throughout the world.
To find consensus definitions, it’s always good to consult the good old Webster’s dictionary. Webster’s defines sustainability as:
1: capable of being sustained.
2a: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.
2b: of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods.
Capable of Being Sustained
Let’s start with the first definition, “capable of being sustained.” The manufacturing of pork is a pretty straightforward process, we take a weaned pig and feed it until market weight. Therefore, to be “capable of being sustained,” we need to have confidence in the sustained availability in our weaned pig supply as well as the ingredients which make up our complete pig feeds.
Further, to be capable of sustaining our operations over long periods of time, we need to secure these inputs at a cost that justifies their investment. Input cost management isn’t a novel strategy for pig producers and focus in this area is one of the key factors that has made agriculture one of the longest sustaining industries in the history of mankind.
Resource is Not Depleted
Now let’s look at “a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” Pork production has an amazing story to tell in terms of resource management. The fact we’ve sustained pork production so effectively and for so long is a testament to how sustainable we have been and how effectively we are at continuously improving our efficient utilization of resources.
We harvest crops to feed our pigs and capture all waste the pigs create, while the pig converts these feed ingredients into pork and we reapply the leftover nutrients to these same crop fields to ensure our ability to feed future pigs. Our goals in resource management are directly aligned with our goals in being “capable of being sustained.” The better we manage our input resources, the more likely it is that our business is sustainable.
From my perspective we couldn’t find ourselves in a better situation – for years we’ve worked to lessen the feed and water it takes to produce pork and we shouldn’t hesitate to tell that story. We should also continue to strive to perform better in how efficiently we use our resources.
A Lifestyle of Sustainable Methods
Last, let’s examine “relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods.” The reality is, although we understand the definition of sustainability and have an amazing story to tell relative to how sustainable pork production is and can be, we don’t control that narrative for the majority of our consumers.
Consumers are influenced by any number of things but given how few farmers there are in the U.S., very few consumers have a connection to a farmer to hear about our sustainable processes. Unfortunately, when focused on the fundamentals of sustainability, it can be a pretty dry and boring topic.
Why do you think consumers turn to flashy social media to find their influence? It’s simple, it’s more fun to consume information that way. While veterinarians such as myself may love nothing more than sitting in a lecture hall and diving deep into the technical pathways in which resources are efficiently utilized, most people are turned off by that educational approach. Gone are the days in which we could count on the extended family coming “home to visit the farm” and learning about pork production from the members of the family still involved in agriculture.
Modern biosecurity makes it so hard to visit farms that even if someone is lucky enough to have contact with a pig producer, they are highly unlikely to ever get to tour one of our pig farms. To effectively communicate our sustainable methods to today’s consumer, we’re going to have to speak their language and use communication platforms that are meaningful and important to them.
Why Do Consumers Care?
At the end of the day, consumers don’t have much skin in the game – it’s a transactional process and they’re not tied to purchasing or consuming pork for any length of time beyond their next meal. I think consumers care about sustainability because it infers a sense of confidence into a pork production process to which they know very little about.
Consumers hear negative things about pig production… and that’s not unique. All industries suffer this challenge – whether you make food, media, technology, beverages, etc., there are always going to be people out there saying negative things about you and your practices. When you couple the lack of agricultural connections and pork production knowledge that face today’s consumers with the never-ending ability to find information of any kind online (true or not…), you have a recipe for distrust.
While we can see this disconnect as a challenge, I actually think it’s a tremendous opportunity. We have an amazing sustainability story to tell, and our story can help give consumers confidence that our pork production practices are efficiently using our resources to produce pork in a safe, effective and sustainable manner. So how do we tell the story? Let’s take a lesson from the politicians. Listen to what people want, give it to them and then take credit for it!
Show Them Your Metrics
Consumers want to know that you have a sustainability program, and they’d like to see that you have sustainability metrics you monitor and try to continuously improve. They probably don’t actually want to read it in any great level of detail, they just want the confidence and security in knowing it’s there. Large producers have been investing in sustainability departments and creating annual sustainability reports with sustainability metrics for years. While this may seem like a daunting task for smaller producers, they’ve created a clear road map for us to follow in terms of how we tell our sustainability story.
Our partners at the National Pork Board have worked hard over the last several years to not only highlight our sustainability story collectively as an industry, but also to create templates and support for creation of on-farm sustainability reports for producers of all types and sizes. If you haven’t checked out the sustainability section of the National Pork Board’s website, you need to take a look at it – there is a wealth of information and resources warehoused there.
Even better, they’ll help you create this report for your farm using your information and our collective industry sustainability report template. I know, you’re concerned about the confidentiality of your data. I can assure you that your data is yours and will be kept confidential. The name of your operation and your data will not be shared.
What Do You Do with a Sustainability Report?
First, make sure to give a copy of it to those relatives of yours from the coast this holiday season. Ask them for a copy of the sustainability report from their business and hopefully what once was an unproductive dialogue can actually transition into a meaningful exchange.
Understand that while these reports are not required for business-to-business interactions today, I fully expect pork producers will have to share a sustainability report with their financial institutions, supplies and community associations in the coming years. Get started now so you aren’t scrambling when this sort of reporting structure becomes an expected part of doing business.
Request an On-Farm Sustainability Report here.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Pig Farmers Commit to Sustainability: Here’s the Proof
It’s Time to Get on the Bus: National Pork Board Unveils Sustainability Goals
The Proof is in the Data, Minnesota Pig Farmer Says
A Sustainable Approach to Sustainability
