Protected Harvest Program

n the early-to-mid 1970s research on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) farming systems environmentally sound, information-based systems of farming that use preventative tactics and biological controls began to become available in the wake of three decades of research focusing on chemical-based systems. In the 1980s the concept of sustainable agriculture began to be widely used in agriculture and scientific circles. Originally related primarily to soil conservation and the increase of soil organic matter, sustainable agriculture grew into a concept that encompassed the use of IPM and other environmental protection practices in agriculture. Yet years later these concepts are just beginning to make headway in agriculture or the marketplace. While most farmers would like to adopt practices that minimize environmental impacts, these practices are often more labor intensive and expensive too risky for farmers that are under increasing pressure to minimize their expenses or lose the farm. It is vitally important to develop a market mechanism to 1) stimulate mainstream farmers to adopt sustainable practices on a commercial scale and 2) communicate this commitment to environmental protection to the consumer. By certifying farmers adherence to stringent and scientifically-based production practices and offering the use of the Protected Harvest eco-label, we think that the program is in a unique position to be that mechanism and overcome the roadblocks to sustainable agriculture implementation.