What will be Water Stewardship's initial focus?
Why is Water Stewardship needed?
How will this initiative differ from existing cost-share and regulatory programs?
How will these efforts help accelerate improvement of water quality in local, Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico waters?
Who are the initial partners with WSI?
What is the motivation for corporations like SYSCO and General Mills to be part of the WSI initiative?
What is the motivation for an animal or crop producer to participate in the program?
How will the assessment and verification process work?
What are the intended outcomes of the continuous improvement program?
Who will have access to the assessment and verification information?
How is development of the assessment, verification and CIP program being funded?
Who will pay the cost of the independent third-party assessors and verifiers and CIP implementation?
Will any assistance be available for limited resource farmers?
Will data on the costs and benefits of the program be collected?
How will impacts of the program be determined?
How will the outcome of the pilot programs be expanded throughout the food system and, over time, into other product supply chains?
What is Water Stewardship Inc.?
Water Stewardship, Inc. (WSI) is a new nonprofit, based in Annapolis, MD, that will work with major corporations to embed water quality protection measures, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus pollution control, into corporate stewardship ethics and programs. Its goal will be fostering sustained environmental improvements throughout the corporate supply chain. WSI will address policy needs by evaluating the effectiveness of existing policies and identifying new policies needed to support the corporate supply chain program and/or help meet water quality goals.
What will be Water Stewardship?s initial focus?
The primary initial focus will be to develop and implement a water quality assessment, verification and Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) for animal and crop suppliers (and their producers) who sell to corporate partners. Initial pilot areas will include the Chesapeake Bay, the Illinois River (NW Arkansas), and Minnesota River watersheds.
Why is Water Stewardship needed?
This initiative grows from two separate concerns: water quality and consumer confidence. After decades of efforts to protect and restore water resources through cost-share and regulatory programs, agriculture still remains the leading source of nitrogen and phosphorus that feeds the ?Dead Zones? in the Chesapeake Bay and northern Gulf of Mexico. Simultaneously, food companies are facing eroding consumer confidence in the food system and growing demand for environmental accountability in food production. By engaging corporate America and addressing policy needs, Water Stewardship Inc. will enhance the pace and accountability of water quality restoration efforts.
How will this initiative differ from existing cost-share and regulatory programs?
First, it will establish a Conservation Baseline that suppliers and producers must meet as a minimum conservation expectation. The baseline will be determined in consultation with advisory groups, but is expected to include practices such as basic nutrient and manure management and erosion control. Through Continuous Improvement Programs (CIPs), suppliers and producers will raise their environmental performance and further reduce water quality impacts beyond levels typically set by regulatory and cost share programs. Secondly, the program will use independent third-party individuals hired by WSI to assess the baseline, develop the CIPs and verify implementation by each producer in the program. This will enable a more comprehensive approach to technical assistance and implementation assurance than typically provided through regulatory or cost-share programs.
How will these efforts help accelerate improvement of water quality in local, Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico waters?
The CIPs will be developed with the goal of reducing nutrient losses by 40% from ?baseline? conservation levels, which is consistent with suggested needs for both the Chesapeake and Northern Gulf of Mexico. WSI will develop and oversee an accountable and credible program to document change in management, behavior and practice through the use of certified third party individuals. All of these actions complement current programs but expand their impact and accountability and eventually incorporate water quality improvement expectations into the corporate supply chain.
Who are the initial partners with WSI?
The Campbell Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and the Walton Family Foundation have all helped to develop WSI and its conceptual approach. The Campbell Foundation has made a substantial commitment to the program and agreements are being developed with several other funders. All have been extremely supportive of the Water Stewardship initiative. The success of the effort will depend on participation by parties at all levels of the supply chain: corporate manufacturers, food processors, distributors and crop and animal producers. (Early involvement by SYSCO and General Mills has helped formulate Water Stewardship?s vision, and additional corporate partners will be added in the near future.
What is the motivation for corporations like SYSCO and General Mills to be part of the WSI initiative?
Food companies are responding to the concerns expressed by consumers about the food system. While many concerns have focused on public health issues, leading companies like SYSCO and General Mills also recognize interest in better environmental accountability throughout the food system, particularly in food and feed production. Both SYSCO and General Mills have been leaders in corporate social responsibility. This is a continuation of that leadership. The emergence of the ?Corporate Social Responsibility? report as a shareholder and analyst expectation has made programs like this part of the inherent value of the company and its stock, which has increased interest and importance.
What is the motivation for an animal or crop producer to participate in the program?
This program incorporates the need for assessment & verification and Continuous Improvement Programs into the expectations of the supply chain. Over time, it is anticipated that these will be expectations of contracts with preferred purchasers such as SYSCO and General Mills. Suppliers and producers in the pilot watersheds will play a role in shaping the program and will have an advantage when this type of program expands to all suppliers and producers. The pilot watershed suppliers and producers will also have access to levels of public and private technical and financial assistance that may not be available when the program is expanded nationally. Finally, this is an incremental improvement program so WSI will assure that CIPs are tailored to the needs, capacity and capability of the producer.
How will the assessment and verification process work?
WSI is developing procedures for CIP development, implementation and verification in cooperation with technical experts. The procedures and practices will be reviewed and approved, at the pilot watershed level, by local Advisory Panels and at the national level by a Watershed Stewardship Advisory Committee. WSI will train and certify third party individuals to do assessments and CIP development. Certified professionals will abide by a code of ethics and verify that they do not have any conflict of interest with clients or the agricultural supply chain. Certified professionals will verify implementation progress and recommend CIP adjustments by visiting producers every two years. WSI will review the work of these professionals prior to renewal of certification to assure quality and consistency of their assessments and plans.
What are the intended outcomes of the continuous improvement program?
Quantitative goals for nitrogen and phosphorus loss reductions will be established and performance/attainment will be estimated based on CIP practice/system implementation, using accepted, conservative effectiveness estimates. It is anticipated that goals will be for 40% reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus below the conservation baseline level, but this goal could be revised based on an analysis of the beta test results that will estimate the economic feasibility of nutrient reductions.
Who will have access to the assessment and verification information?
Information for individual suppliers and producers will be confidential and will be reported by certified third parties to WSI. Data will be shared with suppliers and corporate partners. Summary watershed information will be publicly available as will data on changes in management practices and nutrient losses resulting from CIP implementation. Practice and system implementation summary data, on a watershed and county basis, will be shared with state and federal agencies and others. WSI will also publish and distribute annual progress reports in each of the pilot watersheds.
How is development of the assessment, verification and CIP program being funded?
Initially, WSI will be funded through support from foundations and corporate partners. Additional funding will be secured over time to sustain implementation, evaluation and expansion of the program. WSI may become self-supporting through fees for services and contracts with corporations.
Who will pay the cost of the independent third-party assessors and verifiers and CIP implementation?
In the pilot programs, WSI and its partners will assist suppliers and producers in securing financial assistance from state and federal cost share and incentive programs. While ultimately it is the supplier?s and producer?s responsibility to implement the CIPs, WSI will work to minimize producer cost. After the pilot program, the cost of assessment, CIP development and verification will become corporate expectations and part of the cost of food production. It is an expectation that WSI partners throughout the supply chain will consider the results of the pilot program to develop an equitable distribution of the costs of optimal nutrient management in production agriculture. Government cost share and incentives will likely continue to be available to offset much of the costs for the foreseeable future.
Will any assistance be available for limited resource farmers?
Yes, if limited resource farmers experience a net loss due to this program after cost share, incentives, other public support, and supplier assistance have been used, WSI will try to secure funding to help pay for the remaining loss. A means test, based on total household income, will be used to determine eligibility for assistance. While substantial impact on limited resource farmer income is not expected, data collected during the pilot programs will determine actual impact and future funding needs for these farmers.
Will data on the costs and benefits of the program be collected?
Data on the total cost for growers and suppliers will be collected. Costs will be compiled in a manner that allows evaluation of the amount of cost share, incentives and other public funds used as well as producer and supplier costs. Costs will also be analyzed to determine whether they were incurred for assessment, CIP development, verification or practice and system implementation.
How will impacts of the program be determined?
Initially, impacts will be estimated based on verified practice implementation and behavior change. WSI will work with technical partners to monitor selected small watersheds with high levels of program participation to detect changes in biotic conditions and water quality. Existing monitoring stations in medium-sized watersheds will be reviewed over the longer term to look for system wide impacts.
How will the outcome of the pilot programs be expanded throughout the food system and, over time, into other product supply chains?
WSI will establish and staff a Water Stewardship Council (WSC) composed of corporations, suppliers, foundations, grower and environmental organizations and government representatives (probably as ex-officio members). The WSC will work to communicate the results from the pilot programs and other innovative supply chain programs, identify new corporate or supplier partners and watersheds, and assist with expansion of the program to those areas. We will also communicate program outcomes and impacts to industry and public media, trade groups and other interested organizations.