b"Putting Together a Measure of SustainabilityWith companies now publishingTHE WORD SUSTAINABILITY is popping up everywhere sustainability reports annually,these days it seems. Companies are constantly releasing you may wonder how theseinformation on how they plan to be more sustainable. These plans are mainly released in the forms of reports, and theres reports are put together.now a whole industry focused on helping those reports to be BY: ASHLEY ROBINSON made. Sustainability issues are so complex and intertwined. For example soil, water stewardship, carbon and the volume of potato a farmer can grow. All of those sustainability issues really overlap with each otherthey're all interconnected, Emma Bedlington, manager at Stratos, said during a presentation at Manitoba Potato Production Days on Jan. 25, 2023. Traditionally, companies have made annual reports, and in these reports theyll outline their profits and losses. Recently though, these reports have started to include more external information thats not directly related to financials, she added. Companies will now talk about some of their social programs, or their company governancethese are all environmental, social and governance issues and are called ESG.Previous to that it was known as corporate social responsibility, that social piece is useful to the governmental activity. But really, I want folks in the room to look at this as a very broad definition of sustainability and a way to articulate the benefits that farming brings to the community, Bedlington explained.Sustainability reporting has changed over the years. It used to be a place for companies to talk about all the good things they're doing, but now these reports are seeing companies share when they arent reaching their goals. These reports are an opportunity for companies to engage with their investors and customers by explaining why this is happening and what theyre doing to get on the right track, Bedlington said.30SPUDSMART.COM Spring 2023"