Potato Grower

WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 33 sors, asking for details about such topics as cultural practices, integrat- ed pest management programs, and water conservation. PSA compiles that data to build a story for retailers, foodservice operators and others down the supply chain to be able to tell to consumers. They've been able to develop robust metrics to help drive improvements in productivity and profitability, while taking great strides in environmental protection. "There is a real understanding among farmers of the importance of demonstrating the sustainable farming practices they've already implemented," says Mesko. "But we do not have the luxury of treading water. This notion of continual improvement is something every component of our industry needs to be implementing." Of course, orchestrating an indus- try-wide campaign to distill every- one's efforts into a single, coherent story is easier said than done. Mesko is the first to admit that, for all its value, a survey of a fraction of the industry isn't sufficient long-term. While the finer details of a plan to better tell potatoes' sustainability story remain cloudy, Mesko is opti- mistic about the industry's ability to coalesce around a unified message of sustainability. That begins, he says, with increased involvement from participants at all levels of the potato supply chain. "PSA is not one entity's mouth- piece," he says. "This is an indus- try-wide effort. Every farmer, every company that processes potatoes, anyone who sells inputs targeted toward potatoes, every restaurant or retailer that sells potatoes—we want input from all of them. Because the last thing we want to do is build a vehicle nobody wants to ride in. "If there is anything someone in the potato supply chain thinks the PSA needs to know, we want to hear it." To learn more about the Potato Sustain- ability Alliance or to become a member, go to www.potatosustainability.org, or visit the PSA at Booth 1335 at Potato Expo 2022 in Anaheim, California, Jan. 5-6. PG

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