Would that fly?

Q. Is the green industry ready for a national sustainability standard?

A. I’m not sure if a group of people in the same room can agree on the definition of sustainability let alone come up with a standard. I left the proposed ANSI standard on agricultural sustainability committee for that reason. 

The commodity groups are so varied and the processes are so different that it is just about impossible to make the final product relevant. If we were to create a standard just for horticulture it might be possible, but why do it? We currently have at least two companies running their own certification programs—Veriflora and MPS, which have a number of participating growers. 

Sustainability is in its infancy. Let’s allow the free market system to work and watch what develops with the certification opportunities we currently have. Being certified is not just about selling more product because you are a sustainable grower. It is also about using the certification metrics to make you a better steward of your own budget. If a grower can make better decisions about the use of inputs, those saving can go right to the bottom line.

Doug Cole, D.S. Cole Growers