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Agribusiness
Agribusiness Links
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Contact
Agribusiness National Sector Lead
Melissa Kramer (kramer.melissa@epa.gov)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(202) 564-8497
Sector Profile
EPA's Sector Strategies Program seeks industry-wide environmental gains through innovative actions taken by a number of manufacturing and service sectors.
Activities
Promoting Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
In summer 2003, Sector Strategies released the final version of the EMS Implementation Guide for the Meat Processing Industry. The Guide was the result of a pilot project undertaken as part of EPA's Sector Strategies Program with the meat processing industry. The EMS Guide is very detailed and tailored for meat processors.
EPA partnered with the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to pilot test the Guide with five companies: Advanced Brands, Excel, Farmland, Humboldt Sausage, and West Liberty Foods. IWRC and IDNR provided technical assistance to the five companies in the form of workshops, site visits, and teleconferences. EPA conducted an evaluation of the project and finalized the Guide to reflect lessons learned from the pilot. In a ceremony in Des Moines Iowa, EPA recognized state partners and five meat processing companies for their outstanding voluntary contributions to environmental protection by participating in the Meat Processing EMS Pilot project. EPA recognized Advance Brands, Excel Corporation, Farmland Foods, Inc., Humboldt Sausage Company, and West Liberty Foods for implementing a comprehensive environmental management system.
In October 2003, Sector Strategies released a brochure highlighting the benefits of EMS implementation at meat processing facilities. Environmental Management Systems: Systematically Improving your Performance was created with help from Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Waste Reduction Center, and six meat processing facilities have already adopted EMSs.
Overcoming regulatory or other barriers to performance improvement:
The Western Iowa Livestock External Stewardship Pilot Project was a product of our working relationship with the meat processing portion of the agribusiness sector. As part of our program, stakeholders outlined a project to test whether the livestock industry, working together with state and federal agencies and producers, could design, implement and measure, voluntary environmental stewardship towards nutrient management. The project emphasizes consultation, cooperation, and communication among meat processors, livestock producers, and government officials. The Project was led by Farmland Foods, Prestage-Stoecker Farms, and independent livestock producers with support from Iowa NRCS, Iowa DNR and Iowa State University. Tireless contributions from all involved contributed to the success of this partnership.
Stewardship Project Final Report (PDF) (56 pp, 2.9MB, About PDF)
Performance measurement
Partners are exploring creative ways to measure and report industry-wide environmental and economic progress using performance indicators, success stories, and other tools.
You can read the Agribusiness chapter in the Sector Strategies Performance Report.
Trade Associations
Grocery Manufacturers Association 
Related Links
- The National Agriculture Compliance Assistance Center (Ag Center)
- EPA Office of Pesticide Programs: Agricultural Worker Protection Standard 40 CFR Parts 156 & 170 Interpretive Policy
- The Food Quality Protection Act (FGPA) of 1996
- Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program
- AgSTAR Home Page
- EPA Office of Global Warming: Climate Changes and Impacts on Agriculture
- EPA Animal Feeding Operations
- Effluent Guidelines: Preliminary Data Summary: Feedlots Point Source Category Study
- Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program