Market Access is Key to Sustainable Food Systems

Market Access is Key to Sustainable Food Systems

Tim Hammerich
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future report.

New technologies and farming practices can help push the agriculture industry in a more sustainable direction, but one critical piece that is not talked about enough is the need for access to new markets. Tom Ryan is the president of Truterra and a farmer himself. He says if consumers want sustainable products, there needs to be markets for these products at the farmgate.

Ryan… “We've got to, as an industry, think about how do we provide, you know, a more robust food system that meets the needs of the consumers, not only in America, but the world. And in some areas that means, you know, I want a sustainably sourced, sustainably grown, sustainably labeled product. In some parts of the world, it might mean, hey, I just want supply. And being able to play on both ends of that spectrum, and create value added opportunities, whether that's through designer greens with low CI scores, or whether it's just driving the productivity and global food supply. But bringing all these together with the farmer at the center surrounded by a network of retail that they trust; that's how we achieve it, and that's the role that we play as Land O'Lakes and Truterra every single day.”

CI is short for carbon intensity, which is the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions. New markets can bring new opportunities for both producers and consumers.

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