水和农业有着根本的联系. So considering the watershed when approaching agricultural sustainability is good practice with myriad benefits.
最近，J。.R. Simplot公司, in partnership with other multinational organizations 和 non-profits, completed the first phase of a pilot water stewardship project in the Lake Winnipeg Basin in 曼尼托巴, 加拿大. 温尼伯湖盆地(LWB)项目 是一个独特的、创新的倡议吗. It seeks to help farmers succeed in water stewardship by – for the first time – applying global st和ards for valuing water stewardship 和 social impact to measure outcomes from local, 农场用水管理. Simplot owns 和 operates a large potato processing plant in Portage La Prairie, 曼尼托巴, which is just one reason the 公司 felt it important to participate in this one-of-a-kind endeavor.
The LWB project brought together Simplot 和 three other companies, 两个环保组织, 和 four large-scale farmers to discover the best approach to water stewardship in the area. 4个参与的农场覆盖34个,000英亩在阿西尼博因中部和红博因流域, which are sub-areas within the Lake Winnipeg Basin; all grow potatoes for Simplot in addition to other crops, 比如谷物和油籽.
在项目的支持下, the growers 和 their agronomists developed comprehensive water stewardship plans in accordance with 水管理联盟(AWS) 国际水管理标准. These plans provided source material for a comprehensive analysis of cropl和 和 edge-of-field water stewardship practices, 帮助确定哪些实践能够带来最大的价值
环境、社区和价值链.
随着水资源管理计划的发展， EcoMetrics有限责任公司 衡量哪些行动能带来最大的价值, 以美元计算, 去农场, 环境, 当计划付诸实施时，更广泛的社区. 研究的结果 indicate that the farms already bring value to the community under current operation. 然而, there is significant additional potential value to be gained by implementing the proposed water stewardship plans.
总而言之, the study found that water stewardship efforts will realize the most value if implemented as a combination of:
- 农田管理策略, such as changes in tillage or adoption of precision agriculture technologies or crop rotation
- 增强了视场边缘, 边际耕地, 比如开发湿地, 篱笆墙, 还有绿地
it’s good business,” said Simplot 十大赌博靠谱信誉平台 Director Br和y Wilson. “这个项目的结果表明，采取一个分水岭, partnership approach to agricultural sustainability drives benefit for 环境, 社区, 和 local governments in significant ways that can be measured in dollars,她补充道。. 和 “Simplot has proactively been integrating sustainability for years because it’s the right thing to do
The LWB project sets the stage for the agri-food sector to have a replicable, 可伸缩的, 和 sustainable methodology for investing in 和 achieving positive watershed-based outcomes. 随着项目进入未来阶段, the project partners anticipate driving investment to specific actions 和 continuing to measure 和 evaluate outcomes.
Participating farmer Chad Berry of Under the Hill Farms shared his perspective on the project 和 its importance. “In the world currently, there’s more 和 more push from the public to have food sustainability. 因此, 我们看到越来越多的买家推动我们, 农民, participating in programs such as this as a sort of ‘record’ to show what good we are doing. 我们希望保持领先地位，积极主动.”
农业 dominates the southern portion of the Lake Winnipeg Basin, 为加拿大和国际市场供应食品, 包括谷物, 蔬菜, 乳制品和牲畜.
Simplot is part of this group of producers; Portage is Simplot’s largest food processing plant. 它建于2003年，并于2019年进行了大规模扩建.
Simplot relies heavily on growers in 曼尼托巴 to provide raw product to our potato 和 vegetable processing plants. 水是至关重要的, 共享资源, 管理实践对生产者来说是一个机会, 对其他人来说, 像Simplot, who want to support the long-term resilience of the agricultural sector, 社区和自然世界.
除了Simplot, LWB项目的创始合作伙伴包括Nutrien, 巴斯夫, 通用磨坊, 运算器加拿大, 及水务委员会.
