Three ways you can help build a movement for sustainable agriculture

At the 2020 Honor the Harvest Forum, over 250 of the brightest and most innovative leaders in our food supply system gathered to unite around a first-of-its-kind food and agriculture sector-wide vision for the sustainable food system of the future! I couldn’t be more excited about the movement we are building together for the next #Decade of Agriculture.

 The Vision sums up the future we all desire: A resilient, restorative, economically viable and climate-smart agricultural system that produces abundant and nutritious food, natural fiber and clean energy for a sustainable, vibrant and prosperous America.

 Our forum, co-hosted by The Aspen Institute, was virtual this year but that didn’t dim the enthusiasm of our diverse and passionate leaders. Over six days they virtually rolled up their sleeves to collaborate with their peers from every corner of the food and agriculture value chain.

 A silver lining of our digital format this year was that more farmers and ranchers could join us, sometimes from their fields, tractors and barns. It may be harvest season and challenging times for farmers, but these hard-working men and women took time to make their voices heard, because this is important to them—and to the generations of farmers to follow.

 Farmers and ranchers are uniquely positioned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using climate-smart practices and they are doing it every day. But they can’t do it alone. We need unmatched collaboration across the food value chain to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That’s just 30 harvests—30 chances to get it right.

While we made enormous progress, there is much more work to be done to fulfill the Decade of Ag Vision. The real hard work begins now, in this year of action.

There are three main ways that you can get involved:

 1.    Be a leader in action. Your personal commitment is what keeps the movement going.

2.    Get your organization on board.

3.    Work over the next year to put your commitment to action.

 Please help lift up the Vision by amplifying our press release to your networks as well as  the launch of our new report spotlighting agriculture’s key role in contributing to the SDGs, in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. 

 In the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing the voices of some of the extraordinary leaders that helped contribute to the diversity, strength and unity of our shared vision. I was inspired by them and I know you will be, too. Let’s grow this movement together!

 Special thanks to the @USFRA team and board for working so hard this past year. Thank you to all of our partners and leaders in the Action Network who worked over the past year to launch this vision. Let’s go team! 2020-the year of Action, the Decade of Ag begins.