Key players in the U.S. and Canadian potato industries announced at Potato Expo the creation of a new organization: Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA).

“Ten years ago, a group of potato processors, farmers, distributors and a major restaurant chain collaborated to create the Potato Sustainability Initiative,” said Ed Schneider of Schneider Farms. As consumer demand grows for more sustainability from food systems to feed the world in a safe and responsible manner, there is a growing need for the industry to engage with a more diverse set of players to advance and communicate potato sustainability. 

Laura Scandurra, the new executive director, explains that the newly incorporated Potato Sustainability Alliance builds on the original initiative by adding fresh packers, agribusinesses, and environmentally focused organizations. 

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 United States and Canada. 

The Potato Sustainability Alliance has announced the election of new officers for the organization’s Board of Directors. They are:  John MacQuarrie, director of environmental sustainability with Cavendish Farms, as chair; Jolyn Rasmussen of the J.R. Simplot Company as vice chair, Sanford Gleddie of The Little Potato Company as treasurer, and Ed Schneider of Schneider Farms as secretary.  

The Board of Directors is currently composed of representatives from the following membership sectors:  growers, processors, fresh packers, buyers, and agribusiness companies. The Alliance will be inviting board representation from environmental NGOs later this year. Officers are elected to two-year terms and will play a leading role in developing the organization’s 2020-2025 strategic plan.

If your interests align with those of PSA, contact: Laura Scandurra, executive director, based in Madison, Wisconsin at laura@potatosustainability.org.

 Source: Potato Sustainability Alliance February 17, 2020 news release