Agriculture
From pollinator health to more sustainable agricultural production, the Keystone Policy Center understands that collaboration and coalition-based work are essential to finding solutions to the complex and vexing problems facing modern agriculture. Through decades of work with farmers, agri-businesses, food companies, conservation organizations, and other key stakeholders, the Keystone Policy Center has developed an impressive portfolio of work dealing with the pivotal policy conversations surrounding global food supplies, environmental stewardship, and agriculture.
Featured Projects
Honey Bee Health Coalition
Honey bees support more than $20 billion in U.S. and Canadian agriculture annually. Faced with recent declines in honey bee health, the Keystone Policy Center brought together representatives of beekeepers, growers, researchers, government agencies, agribusinesses, conservation groups, manufacturers and brands, and other key partners. Officially convened in 2014, the Honey Bee Health Coalition is working to help improve honey bee hive management and nutrition, increase forage for bees, control crop pests while safeguarding pollinator health, and enhance public-private outreach, communications, and education. Learn More
Midwest Row Crop Collaborative
The Midwest Row Crop Collaborative is a diverse coalition working to expand agricultural solutions that protect air and water quality and enhance soil health while remaining committed to producing enough food to feed the growing global population. These leading companies and conservation groups are all committed to building a broad partnership in three pilot states: Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. This group will measure and deliver improved environmental outcomes through cross-sector collaboration and continuous improvement at a meaningful scale throughout the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Learn More
Food Waste
Food waste poses serious challenges for families and the world alike — from wasted resources to climate change. Keystone is leading discussions aimed at confronting this global challenge through collaborative strategies, information sharing, and coordinated action. Learn More
Field to Market
Our ability to feed future generations depends on developing better, more sustainable way to produce food — throughout the supply chain. Recognizing this challenge, the Keystone Policy Center convened Field to Market®, the Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture in 2007 as a collaborative dialogue aimed at improving the sustainability of the U.S. commodity agriculture supply chain. Since then and through Keystone’s stewardship, Field to Market grew into a diverse, collaborative nonprofit with a membership comprised of grower associations, agribusinesses, food packagers and retailers, conservation organizations, universities, and federal agency partners. Learn More
Monarch Collaborative
Following recent declines in monarch butterfly populations, the Keystone Policy Center brought together a diverse group of committed stakeholders, including scientists, conservationists, farmers, and the private sector, to find collaborative solutions to strengthen monarch populations and habitat. The Collaborative’s initial conversations, held in spring of 2015, have led to ongoing efforts to develop collaborative strategies to promote and implement actions that will support monarchs in agricultural landscapes. Learn more
Maryland Managed Pollinator Protection Plan Summit
In June 2014, President Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency to engage state agencies in developing Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3s) to mitigate risk to honey bees and other managed pollinators. The Keystone Policy Center worked with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the University of Maryland to plan and facilitate a statewide MP3 summit for 70 stakeholders, along with conducting a stakeholder assessment leading up to the event. The summit enabled state agencies and key stakeholders to discuss and identify significant opportunities to promote managed pollinator health. It also established a framework for open communication and collaboration as the Maryland Department of Agriculture develops and implements the state’s MP3.