A Retailer’s View Of Sustainability
October 12, 2011 More and more ag retailers nationwide are paying closer attention to the concept of sustainability. One such example has occurred in Iowa, where retailers and farmers joined together in an attempt to improve water quality in their state.
“The growing demand for sustainable agriculture is a concern that all ag retailers and farmers need to pay attention to, not just those who focus on fruit and vegetable production,” said Dave Coppess, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Heartland Co-op, West Des Moines, IA, in his recent blog on the Agricultural Retailers Association’s Web site.
Several years ago, the Des Moines Water Works contacted Heartland Co-op and others due to concerns over the region’s water quality and agriculture’s potential impact, Coppess said. “Heartland Co-op immediately joined with several other ag retailers in the area to form Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance (AWCA),” he said
Coppess added: “Today’s agriculture industry is expected to feed a growing world population from a static land resource base. New regulations and consumer demands also make it clear that this should be done while making consistent improvements to environmental performance. The ACWA is focused on finding this balance.”
Coppess said he is looking forward to participating in a panel discussion on sustainability at this year’s ARA conference.
To read Coppess’ entire blog and/or to reply, click here.
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