The purpose of this MOU is to build upon the established general framework for cooperation between National Pork Board (NPB), United Soybean Board (USB) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) on mutually beneficial sustainability research, including completed, current and planned research and communications. "Sustainability Research" is research directly related to environmental sustainability indicators of carbon (greenhouse gases), water use, land use, water quality, and soil health. The key goal for communications is to increase the education, capacity, and motivation of farmers to adopt conservation measures that deliver benefits to the environment and to farm resilience and profitability.
Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
- 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
- 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
- 6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers, and lakes.
- 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
- 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
- 15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
