Leading Harvest expands to Australia to streamline sustainability reporting in ag
Leading Harvest, a nonprofit founded in the U.S., is launching its sustainability assurance program in Australia.
The program is designed to provide consistency in sustainability reporting across crops and regions. Leading Harvest provides farmers and agriculture customers with a universal certification through its unique Farmland Management Standard, which standardizes sustainability verification and reporting across the industry, according to a news release.
The standard provides both farmers and their major customers, including supermarket chains and other retailers, with a way to verify sustainability outcomes that affect communities and the environment, from climate and biodiversity to safe and respectful working environments, the release said.
“The overarching mission for our program in Australia, consistent with our strategy in the U.S. and globally, is to harmonize the sustainability reporting landscape to create more efficiency for producers, more transparency for consumers and the supply chain, and to improve environmental and social outcomes,” Kenny Fahey, Leading Harvest’s president and CEO, said in the release. “It’s clear that there is a real need for a product like the Farmland Management Standard and the kind of engagement Leading Harvest facilitates within the supply chain. We are excited to be launching at scale in Australia with 1.3 million acres enrolled and look forward to continuing this momentum around the world.”
A 12-month pilot program led to the testing and development of the Australian Farmland Management Standard. The standard reflects the agronomic, regulatory and operating realities of the region following the model pioneered in the U.S., the release said.
The Farmland Management Standard addresses 13 sustainability principles: sustainable agriculture; soil health and conservation; protection of water resources; protection of crops; energy use, air quality and climate change; waste and material management; conservation of biodiversity; protection of special sites; local communities; employees and farm labor; legal and regulatory compliance; management review and continual improvement; and tenant-operated operations, the release said.
More information on Leading Harvest, its Farmland Management Standard, and its Australian initiative can be found on the organization's website.