Additional Members of National Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee Announced

Mar 31, 2011 6:40 PM ET

Campaign: The American National Standard for Sustainable Agriculture (ANSI/LEO-4000)

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Madison, WI - March 31, 2011 - Leonardo Academy announces the appointment of three additional members to the National Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee. The Standards Committee welcomes Ciaran Long, CleanGrow Limited; Doug Miell, Miell Consulting; and Richard Olson, GANTEC Advance, in the General Interest category.

Ciaran Long is the CEO of CleanGrow Limited, which is based in the US and Ireland. Their focus is on real-time measurement and management of nutrients throughout various sectors of agriculture. With implementation of this innovative technology, farmers can reduce their use of fertilizers and water consumption, thereby increasing control and sustainability in their operations. In their experiences working with companies and research groups from the US and Europe, they understand how to apply more advanced European agricultural policies here in our country. They are currently developing new technological tools that measure materials run-off and site-specific nitrogen levels. Mr. Long’s background of finance and operations in online media and technology companies, along with technologically-based testing and innovation, brings a unique set of experiences and expectations to the committee.

Doug Miell is Director of Miell Consulting. As a dual citizen of the US and Australia, Mr. Miell was a leading national industry negotiator with Federal and State governments on national water reform policy development, industry development strategies and water efficiency program design and implementation. Mr. Miell led the development of many of the Australian irrigation sector’s responses to economic, social and environmental reform issues (triple bottom line outcomes) through industry and stakeholder consultation on the competing interests of productive water use and community and governments environmental aspirations. Today, Mr. Miell works in Atlanta, Georgia to provide innovative and sustainable water management and investment solutions for agricultural, commercial and industrial markets. This entails not only a focus on innovative water management opportunities but, importantly, highlighting and exploring the relationships between energy efficiency, resource sustainability and government policies and programs.

Richard Olson is president of GANTEC Advance, a natural products bio-tech company that develops natural plant inputs that can potentially reduce the need for synthetics and improve crop production capacity. Mr. Olson worked for twenty-four years with Dow Chemical Company in environmental health and safety and held the title of Environmental Specialist where he helped inform and influence federal and state regulatory policies and helped implement regulatory requirements. In these capacities he became a founding member of the Pollution Prevention Pilot Project, co-developed with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Mr. Olson was a Dow representative on President Clinton’s Council on Sustainable Development, and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development. He was also a co-founder of the International Business Investing and Consulting Company, which brings environmental, and economic development solutions and investments to underdeveloped nations with projects in Mauritania, Fiji, Indonesia, Nepal and more. He has a background in chemistry and environmental health.

About the Sustainable Agriculture Standard and the Standards Committee
There are 58 seats on the Standards Committee to accommodate a broad range of perspectives. The Standards Committee is working to develop a national standard for sustainable agriculture under the rules of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The Standards Committee consists of a skilled, diverse membership representing a broad range of perspectives from across all areas of agriculture, including commodity and specialty crop producers; agricultural product processors and distributors; food retailers; environmental, labor, and development organizations; NGOs; trade associations; government representatives; academics; regulators and certifiers.

Supporting the Standards Committee are six subcommittees that have been working since July 2009 to develop the structure of the standard; draft economic, environmental, and social criteria for possible inclusion in the standard; develop communications materials for process stakeholders; and collect resources to include in the Sustainable Agriculture Standard Reference Library. For more information on the subcommittee work, visit: https://sites.google.com/site/sustainableagstandards/.

Leonardo Academy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing sustainability, is the ANSI-accredited standards development organization that is managing the development of the Sustainable Agriculture standard development process.

How to Apply for Standards Committee Membership
To receive an application for membership on the Standards Committee, contact Jennifer Trucks at Leonardo Academy: jennifer@leonardoacademy.org or (608) 280-0255, or visit http://www.leonardoacademy.org/programs/standards/agstandard/development.html.

Beyond the Standards Committee – How to Get Involved
In addition to applying for Standards Committee membership, stakeholders are also invited to participate in the Sustainable Agriculture Standard development process as a subcommittee member, observer or reviewer of the draft standard once it is opened up for public comment.

Subcommittees – Subcommittees are open to membership by all interested parties. Six subcommittees — 1) Economic Criteria Development, 2) Environmental Criteria Development, 3) Social Criteria Development, 4) Structure and Process, 5) Reference Library and Information and 6) Fundraising and Communications — are currently developing the structure of the standard, along with draft criteria, indicators and metrics; supporting Leonardo Academy’s outreach and fundraising efforts related to the standard; continuing to acquire resources for the Sustainable Agriculture Standard Reference Library; and providing additional recommendations and guidance to the Standards Committee.

Observers – Observers are invited to participate in the standard development process. Observers may attend in-person Standards Committee meetings on a first-come, first-serve basis, subject to the availability of space, and may also participate in all Standards Committee and Subcommittee teleconferences.

Public Review and Comment – Once the Standards Committee reaches agreement on a draft Sustainable Agriculture Standard, it will be posted for public comment. The public review and comment period provides all stakeholders with an additional opportunity to participate in the standard development process. At the end of the public comment period, the Standards Committee will address all of the comments received prior to submitting the final standard to ANSI for approval as an American National Standard.

To sign up for the subcommittees, apply for observer status, learn more about participating in the public review and comment process or to join the Sustainable Agriculture Standard email list, contact Jennifer Trucks at Leonardo Academy: jennifer@leonardoacademy.org or (608) 280-0255.

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Additional Members of National Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee Announced

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