Ames, Iowa, USA
May 24, 2011
Becker Underwood, Inc., international leader in the development and production of inoculants, beneficial nematodes and biological agricultural and horticultural products, has announced the implementation of its sustainability strategy, NET Positive ― a concept that all businesses have positive and negative impacts on the environment and society through their policies, processes and products. In its effort to become a more sustainable company, Becker Underwood has developed a framework for measuring and communicating with a high level of transparency the goals they have put in place in order to have an overall NET Positive impact on the environment, society and the economic growth of the company.
“We’ve set ambitious goals in our NET Positive strategy that will provide a road map in Becker Underwood’s journey to continuously improve our sustainability credentials,” said Daniel Krohn, sustainability lead for Becker Underwood. “We chose to implement the NET Positive concept because it best represents the core of our business: increasing agricultural yields by utilizing biologically –based products, with high efficacy, but with low environmental and social impact. All while playing a role in feeding a growing global population.”
NET Positive includes eight priority areas with the following goals:
- Energy
- Set absolute and relative (per unit of product) GHG emissions and energy reduction targets by facility.
- Energy sustainability considerations integrated into business decision making (e.g. facility site assessment, facility development).
- Water
- Water sustainability considerations integrated into business decision-making.
- Participation in and funding of R&D projects to identify the net water benefits of products.
- Waste
- Zero waste facilities ― waste neutrality achieved by zero waste to landfill.
- Supply Chain
- Work collaboratively with suppliers to develop lower impact products.
- Transport
- Increase transport efficiency for all staff.
- Stakeholder
- Work collaboratively with stakeholders on a range of projects (e.g. product development, community relations).
- Wellbeing
- Increase in staff diversity at all levels within the company.
- Leadership
- Play an active and explicit role in promoting sustainability to the sector.
Becker Underwood will be accountable for achieving these goals by transparently reporting its progress via its sustainability website, www.sustainbu.com.
For more information about Becker Underwood’s sustainability strategy, NET Positive, visit www.sustainbu.com.
Becker Underwood’s Sustainability Commitment
It is the mission of Becker Underwood to engage in practices that promote and sustain its business, customers, suppliers and community in ways that also protect and reduce the company’s impact on the environment. The company is moving towards these goals by implementing its NET Positive (sustainability) initiative, a framework and guidance document developed to allow its facilities a standardized structure in which it can measure its progress for improving its economic, environmental and social impacts. The framework focuses on eight core environmental and social priorities: energy, water, supply chain, transport, leadership and innovation, stakeholder engagement and wellbeing and staff development. These initiatives are contributing to the company’s sustainability commitment to “Be Legendary, Be Positive.” For more information, visit www.sustainbu.com.
Becker Underwood, Inc., founded in 1982, is an international leader in the development and production of inoculants, beneficial nematodes and biological agricultural and horticultural products, including seed coatings and colorants. To learn more about its products, visit the company’s website at www.beckerunderwood.com.
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