Sustainable Food Production Workshop:
Policy Options to PromoteEnvironmental Technologies Description

The "Sustainable Food Production Workshop: Policy Options to PromoteEnvironmental Technologies" provided the opportunity for participants toconsider the environmental technology needs for developing sustainable foodproduction systems, both nationally and internationally, and to definepolicies to guide the development of a U.S. National EnvironmentalTechnology Strategy.

Food production in this country and throughout the world is one of the mostdiverse and unique sectors of the economy. The food production industry inthe United States consists of a fragmented and diverse group of businessesin size, functions, and production techniques, for example, there are smallfamily farmers, agribusinesses, row crop farmers, fruit and nut producers,dairies, cattle ranchers, organic and non-organic producers, aqua/maraculture fisheries managers and fisheries managers of wild crops. Factoringin the equally important components of food distribution and processingalong with food production, the food industries sector of the economybecomes one of the most diverse sectors. It is also one of the mostimportant sectors of the economy with the tremendous responsibility forproviding food to the world's ever increasing population. The foodproduction industry faces tremendous challenges because of this populationgrowth and significant environmental problems including: the erosion anddegradation of soils, flooding, water pollution by chemical fertilizers andpesticides runoff, and the loss of biodiversity from increasingdeforestation for food production. How can we develop sustainable foodproductions systems to meet such challenges?

The "Sustainable Food Production Workshop: Policy Options to PromoteEnvironmental Technologies" was held to help answer such a question. Thisworkshop focused on sustainable food production development over the next30 years and U. S. federal government policies needed to promoteenvironmental technologies for transitioning to sustainable systems forfood production. The emphasis of the workshop was on national policy,however, both national and international sustainable food productionconcerns were discussed.

A group of twenty-five diverse food production environmental technologystakeholders from around the country attended this workshop. Participantsinvited to attend the workshop included food producers (farmers, ranchers,fisheries mangers, etc.), equipment suppliers, academics, researchers,environmental consultants, technology developers, environmental groups andother non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international experts, and alimited number of appropriate federal and state government representatives.

The workshop began with presentations about visions for transitioning tosustainable food production over the next 30 years and a discussion of thevisions. Next on the agenda was a brief policy questionnaire. Lastly,participants spent most of the workshop discussing the various policy ideasfor promoting environmental technologies, with an emphasis on what thefederal role should be in such an effort.

For more information about this workshop and the results of this workshopsee the RAND report:

Sustainable Food Production Workshop, Policy Options to PromoteEnvironmental Technologies, Beth E. Lachman, RAND/P-7966, 1996.