b'GRAIN CODEWhats Happening with the Responsible Grain Code?CRSC ready to listen to farmers on how best to prove grain farmings sustainability.WHEN THE CANADIAN Roundtablecodes used in other agricultural for Sustainable Crops (CRSC) asked forcommodities (such as Verified Beef feedback last winter on its first draft ofProduction Plus), most grain producers a voluntary code of practice for grainare already following the prescribed producers, producers responded withpractices, so the focus was on the stiff criticism.opportunity to build public trust and While the specific comments varied,market access by showcasing the good the vast majority of respondents werework producers do. It was also designed opposed to the Responsible Grain codeto be proactivea way of meeting the as drafted: either stating it needed amarkets demands before the market or major rewrite or questioning why it hadgovernment institutes its own rules.been drafted at all.The idea behind a code is that it In response, CRSC went back to theprovides a degree of self-determination drawing board. After many months ofand industry leadership. It allows a intensive analysis and research, CRSCresponse to sustainability pressures, is now ready to engage with grainbut on our terms rather than someone producers about what shouldorelses, explains Miller. It permits the should notcome next. showcasing of our performance in an There were some very fundamentalaccurately measured and science-based questions that were asked bymanner.(consultation) participants around theIn June, CRSC published a What need for and value of a code of practice,We Heard report summarizing the says Susie Miller, CRSCs executiveconsultation period feedback. Many director. We committed to findingrespondents feared a voluntary code answers. What happens next dependswould be a slippery slope to mandatory on what farmers tell us from here. Ifrequirements. Others said the draft code there is a Code 2.0, it will be created infocused on many should not rules close cooperation with farmers. instead of celebrating the sustainability efforts producers already do. Some Whats the Code? respondents stated that, while they Responsible Grain was intended to bewerent opposed to the concept of a tool for Canadian grain, oilseed, anda code of practice, they thought the special crop producers to prove theyspecific practices listed in the draft operate according to sustainable,were either unclear, too specific, or responsible productionotherwise problematic. Many wondered methods. Much likewhether there was any value in a code, voluntaryparticularly sinceunlike beefthere would be no market premium for a verified sustainable product. Through the summer, CRSC dug deep into finding answers to the many concerns and questions producers had 42seed.ab.ca'