A sustainability initiative was formally added to the strategic plan in August, 2019. A committee was formed, and networking efforts began with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) to gain a better understanding of how a cooperative should embark on developing a sustainability program. Over the winter, the group defined the scope and focus areas of the program and presented MKC SERVES to the board of directors. With their approval, the working group started brainstorming the best ways to put action behind each focus area: the environment, rural communities and our cooperative.
Sustaining the environment in which we work
Sustaining the communities in which we work and live
Sustaining the longevity and profitability of our cooperative
Part of the field guide is understanding core sustainability principles that have been adopted on a global scale. These principles are sometimes referred to as the 3 P’s, or Planet, People, and Profit. We had to decide what those meant to MKC and what was in our control to meaningfully contribute.
Sustainability lives in three distinct levels of control. Things the cooperative can create and control, things that the cooperative can influence but not control, and things that only the farmer can control for their specific operations.
It takes more than simple talk to put efforts into action. MKC's new innovative sustainability program, SERVES, prioritizes the cooperative's efforts toward sustainable practices. The MKC SERVES program will serve as the framework that guides which initiatives are chosen to take action upon by the cooperative.
A change is taking place on farms across the Midwest; a transformation moving toward a farming system that is more sustainable – environmentally, economically and socially. Member-owners across the state are converting to regenerative agricultural practices on their operations, while still meeting consumer’s needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.