Environmental Respect Awards Celebrates 20 Years
December 8, 2009 Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010, the Environmental Respect Awards, sponsored by DuPont Crop Protection and CropLife magazine, will introduce a new “Spirit of Respect” award for past U.S. regional and national Environmental Respect Award winners.
“For 20 years we have had the privilege of honoring hundreds of ag retail supply businesses for their clear commitment to environmental stewardship,” says Nowels. “With this new award, it is our intent to encourage those retailers that have already won to not only keep at it, but to take it even further. We want to create a new set of great stories and fine examples in an industry that is increasingly focused on the environment and food safety.”
This addition to the Environmental Respect Awards is open to past regional and national winners that have won awards three or more years ago and is focused on one of the program’s main objectives: to encourage continuous improvement of environmental stewardship initiatives among U.S. ag supply retailers.
“U.S. retailers are on the front lines of stewardship and are an important part of the industry’s daily efforts to protect the environment and ensure that agricultural products are used safely,” says Dr. Raymond Forney, global stewardship manager for DuPont Crop Protection.
“It is our intent with The Environmental Respect Awards and the new Spirit of Respect Award to partner with our retailers customers in demonstration of a firm commitment to safe and sustainable agriculture.”
According to Nowels, the Environmental Respect Awards was launched in 1990 as the environmental movement was clamoring for more scrutiny and tougher regulations.
“Many of those providing grower customers with crop protection products and fertilizer were playing defense,” says Nowels. “We knew there were many great stories and fine
examples of stewardship out there, we just needed to find a way to share those stories.”
Partnering with DuPont Crop Protection, then‐Dealer Progress magazine, launched the program, inviting ag supply retailers, those who serve farmers and ranchers with the nutrients, pest control, and agronomic information and services critical to effective crop production, to “walk across the road and see your operation as others see it.”
Now, 20 years later, more than 5,000 retailers have shown their environmental spirit. Of those, 350 have won state awards, 123 have earned regional honors and 19 have taken home a national award. These great stories of stewardship have been shared with thousands and the Environmental Respect Awards have become the industry’s highest recognition for environmental stewardship among agricultural retailers and distributors around the world.
“At DuPont Crop Protection, environmental stewardship is a core value along with ethics, safety and respect for each other,” says Jim Collins, president of DuPont Crop Protection. “We encourage all ag supply retailers to commit to environmentally‐responsible agriculture and to continue taking steps toward the sustainability of their businesses.”
In addition to the Spirit of Respect Award, the program will celebrate 20 years with a special Capitol Hill Reception and Stewardship Forum in Washington, D.C. in July, where past winners and industry leaders will gather to honor environmental respect and discuss stewardship.
The Environmental Respect Awards has launched the 2010 U.S. program, as well as the program for vegetation management and forestry professionals and the Spirit of Respect Award.
For information on the Environmental Respect Awards and how retailers can participate, visit www.environmentalrespect.com.
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