Was the Recession Actually *Good* for Sustainability?

There are some compelling reasons to believe that the 2008-2011 economic slowdown was (contrary to popular belief) beneficial to the sustainability movement. Don't believe us? Then you'll definitely want to check out the last of four video clips with Kenton Harmer (you can read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 in case you missed them), one of the lead researchers on the Agriculture Emissions Supply Chain Report by the Carbon Disclosure Project. In this video, Kenton opines on the future of sustainability benchmarking, why the recession was good for sustainability, and next steps for carbon accounting.

A Conversation with Kenton Harmer of Common Fields - Part 4 of 4

Thanks, Kenton, for your insight -- we learned a lot from spending an hour with you!

About Kenton Harmer

Kenton Harmer is the Senior Vice President of Milepost Consulting and Co-Director of Common Fields.  Common Fields, the agriculture practice of Milepost Consulting, is an industry leader at creating and implementing evidence-based sustainability strategies for the agriculture sector.   As one of the founding partners of Common Fields, Kenton’s experience is in developing methodologies and systems that measure the sustainability performance of agricultural operations and sectors.  With an MBA in Sustainable Management, Kenton specializes in translating this technical data into strategies and lasting changes that improve an organization’s market position and long-term profitability.  Contact him at kenton@common-fields.com.

Do This One Thing BEFORE You Ask Suppliers for Sustainability Information

Today, we showcase the third of four video clips with Kenton Harmer (you can read Part 1 and Part 2 in case you missed them), one of the lead researchers on the Agriculture Emissions Supply Chain Report by the Carbon Disclosure Project. In this video, Kenton reveals what companies should do BEFORE embarking on a data-gathering mission with their suppliers.

A Conversation with Kenton Harmer of Common Fields - Part 3 of 4

Thanks to Kenton for his insight -- and stay tuned for our next follow-up article with the final clip from our interview!

About Kenton Harmer

Kenton Harmer is the Senior Vice President of Milepost Consulting and Co-Director of Common Fields.  Common Fields, the agriculture practice of Milepost Consulting, is an industry leader at creating and implementing evidence-based sustainability strategies for the agriculture sector.   As one of the founding partners of Common Fields, Kenton’s experience is in developing methodologies and systems that measure the sustainability performance of agricultural operations and sectors.  With an MBA in Sustainable Management, Kenton specializes in translating this technical data into strategies and lasting changes that improve an organization’s market position and long-term profitability.  Contact him at kenton@common-fields.com.

Why Can't We Get Robust Supply Chain Emissions Data?

In 2011, the Carbon Disclosure Project chose agriculture as the focus of their pilot study on carbon emissions and the supply chain. Using the examples of tomatoes and potatoes, the research team looked at how effective, robust, and accessible it was to gather data from agriculture suppliers. The results, compiled in Unearthed: Agricultural Emissions in the Corporate Supply Chain, are fascinating and offer lessons for companies in a variety of industries -- particularly those with major supply chain sustainability challenges.

Below, we showcase the second of four video clips with Kenton Harmer (you can read Part 1 here), one of the lead researchers on the CDP agriculture report and a great friend to Strategic Sustainability Consulting. In this clip, Kenton discusses the key obstacles to getting high-quality emissions data from producers and packages. There are great lessons here for ALL companies thinking about supply chain sustainability.

A Conversation with Kenton Harmer of Common Fields - Part 2 of 4

Thanks to Kenton for his insight -- and stay tuned for follow-up articles with the remaining two clips from our interview!

About Kenton Harmer

Kenton Harmer is the Senior Vice President of Milepost Consulting and Co-Director of Common Fields.  Common Fields, the agriculture practice of Milepost Consulting, is an industry leader at creating and implementing evidence-based sustainability strategies for the agriculture sector.   As one of the founding partners of Common Fields, Kenton’s experience is in developing methodologies and systems that measure the sustainability performance of agricultural operations and sectors.  With an MBA in Sustainable Management, Kenton specializes in translating this technical data into strategies and lasting changes that improve an organization’s market position and long-term profitability.  Contact him at kenton@common-fields.com.