Working Landscapes Certificate Program

With the support of the SBC, The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and Green Harvest Technologies are working together to develop the infrastructure and market for sustainable feedstock production for biobased plastics and materials. The Working Landscapes Certificate (WLC) Program is an innovative, market-based initiative that allows manufacturers, retailers and consumers of biobased plastics to help farmers grow biobased feedstock crops in a more sustainable manner. Modeled on the energy sector's successful Renewable Energy Certificates, the WLC program recruits farmers to grow corn (the current feedstock for most US bioplastics) according to sustainable farming criteria. The “sustainable production” aspects are then quantified and linked to the amount of corn used in the production of a bioplastic product. This approach provides bioplastic customers with an affordable option for supporting sustainable agriculture and bioplastics and farmers with the financial support needed to utilize more sustainable farming practices, without the added expense and constraints that direct sourcing of feedstocks would require from both parties. For more information, please see: www.workinglandscapes.org.