A group of more than 30 leading growers, suppliers, buyers, technical experts and environmental and public interest organizations have announced the formation of the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops.
The group says "specialty crops" are defined to include fruits, vegetables, nuts and horticulture. The group plans to develop and share a system for measuring sustainable performance across the supply chain-at farms, processors, distributors, food service providers, and retailers.
The Stewardship Index will not seek to prescribe standards or define a specific level of performance as "sustainable." Rather, it aims to provide a system for measuring stewardship performance.
The project is currently seeking public comment on an initial list of issues it believes should be measured to assess sustainable performance.
