b"DuringCOVID-19,SustainabilityTakes Center Stageby Mike Wenkel, NPC Chief Operating OfficerTwo decades ago, the term sustainabil- potato sustainability across the supplyity may have seemed foreign to most chain. Guests included Tommy Jackson,growers, but the practices that fell under Sustainable Solutions Account Managerthe definition were commonplace. Safe atSyngentaUSA,TammyMcElroy,pesticideapplications,conserving Senior Director Sustainability at Sysco,resources,efficientwaterusage,food JolynRasmussen,RawProducthandling practices, reducing food waste, DevelopmentandSustainabilityatJRandothersustainableeffortshaveall Simplot,LauraScandurra,Executivebeen at the heart of the potato indus- DirectorofthePotatoSustainabilitytrys commitment to safely and respon- Alliance,andEdSchneider,Partneratsibility feed the nation. Schneider Farms in Washington state, inaddition to our host Lane Nordlund.As consumer demand grows for produc-tion practices that align with customer IwaspleasedtojointhatdiscussionNPCandmarketexpectations,thepotato where we talked about how the Potatoindustry has gotten better about telling Sustainability Alliances role in advanc-our sustainability story. In early 2020, ingsustainabilityandenhancingthepotatoindustrycametogetherto engagementandcollaborationacrossMessagelaunchthePotatoSustainability the value chain.Alliance (PSA) to support the efforts ofgrowerstoadoptsustainablepractices However, we all know that the world inandcommunicatethoseeffortswith whichwelivedinJanuaryisnottheconsumers. The alliance now provides a same one we live in today. Today, theplatform for farmers, supply chain part- potatosupplyandvaluechainlookners,industryorganizations,non-gov- much different. And as I write this inernmentalorganizations,universities, May 2020, the world in which you readand advisors to work together to define, this may look more different still. Andmeasureandadvancepotatosustain- yet, the potato industrys commitmentability in the United States and Canada.to sustainabilityand in telling our sus-tainability success storycould never beDuring Potato Expo 2020 in January, the more important. EyeOnPotatoespodcastbroughttogether some of the industry's leaders Not only does the sustainability conver-for a discussion on the cooperative work sation still hold true, it is being playedto support, advance, and communicate out in the media for all the world to see.8 POTATO GROWER JULY/AUGUST 2020"