Agriculture and Food
Keystone Policy Center helps stakeholders across the food and agriculture supply chain identify sustainable solutions to meet the needs of a growing global population. By 2050, the world population is projected to exceed 9 billion people, and shifting dietary preferences will also increase the pressure to produce more food, fiber, and fuel with fewer natural resources. Keystone grows solutions from the ground up, working with coalitions of producers, agribusinesses, food and retail companies, NGOs, researchers, and public sectors leaders to identify strategies, metrics, and best practices to pilot and scale through collaboration and collective action. We help foster science-based, market-focused strategies that enable the evolution of our food systems toward sustainable futures that meet the needs of all stakeholders.
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
Farm Labor Practices Group
The Farm Labor Practices Group is a multi-stakeholder initiative committed to improving farm labor practices on farms and thereby enhancing the farm worker’s experience. The Farm Labor Practices Group brings together key industry stakeholders, including growers/farmers, farm worker member organizations, manufacturers and others who sell agricultural products, U.S. Department of Labor, and non-governmental organizations. Keystone Policy Center facilitates the work of the Farm Labor Practices Group. 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
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
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