As consumer and industry preferences continue to drive demand for more sustainable foods, the Canadian and United States potato industries have banded together to create the Potato Sustainability Alliance, said a news release from the organization.
The newly created group was first announced in January at the Potato Expo in Las Vegas, Nev. The Potato Alliance builds on the work of the previously created Potato Sustainability Initiative, while adding fresh packers, agribusinesses, and environmentally focused organizations to the group.
“It was clear that we needed to evolve into a roundtable format and expand our membership to advance a common vision of potato sustainability and deliver outcomes at scale,” Laura Scandurra, the organization’s new executive director, said in the news release.
The new Potato Sustainability Alliance is a platform for farmers, supply chain partners, industry organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities and advisors to work together to define, measure and advance potato sustainability in the U.S. and Canada. The group, together with over 550 U.S. and Canadian farmers, are committed to identifying and acting on viable opportunities throughout the supply chain for ongoing improvement in sustainable potato production.
The newly elected Board of Directors includes John MacQuarrie of Cavendish Farms as chair, Jolyn Rasmussen of the J.R. Simplot Company as vice chair, Sanford Gleddie of The Little Potatoes Company as treasurer, and Ed Schneider of Schneider Farms as secretary.  Board members will serve two-year terms. Later this year environmental NGOs will be invited to join the board.
