WASHINGTON – Organizations representing the soybean, corn and pork industries signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on a sustainability research platform that will benefit their members.

The National Pork Board (NPB), United Soybean Board (USB) and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) are prepared to discuss specific ways in which the organizations can work together to increase educations, capacity and motivation of pork producers and grain farmers. The collaboration aims to help producers adopt conservation measures that will benefit the environment and maintain the viability and profitability of farms.

“Sustainability is defined by the We Care ethical principles pork producers established over 10 years ago,” said National Pork Board President Steve Rommereim, a pig farmer from Alcester, South Dakota. “Joining in the efforts of two other organizations, as a collective group we can more effectively spend producer dollars to achieve the goals we can all believe in and support. Without one, we wouldn’t have the other.”

NPB, USB and NCGA will form a task force of farmer representatives charged with managing and evaluating the activities outlined in the memorandum of understanding. The task force also will evaluate the value and impact of the MOU upon completion of all activities.

“Most farmers are invested in multiple commodities and invested in more than one of our organizations, so it’s important that we are collaborating wherever we can,” said Lewis Bainbridge, USB chair and soybean and livestock farmer from South Dakota. “We need to be supportive of one another, especially now when there’s more interest in what we’re doing to produce our commodities. We need to be looking at the big picture of how our commodities work together and take that a step further.”

Lynn Crisp, NCGA president said, “It is just plain smart” to collaborate in areas such as sustainability and research.

“This memorandum will encourage increased communications, further sharing of staff and funding resources, pool expertise, and ultimately makes us all more effective,” Crisp added.