Stewardship Index

What is SISC? The Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC) is one answer to the complex question of what sustainability means for producers and consumers of specialty crops (fruits, nuts, and vegetables). SISC aims to advance both optimal production and strong environmental protection by offering a suite of science-driven metrics empowering producers to measure on-farm practices (i.e. water use, nitrogen use, etc.) accurately and consistently. Metric data give consumers, food buyers, and producers a common language for discussing the impact of farming practices – and the meaningful stewardship activities of U.S. farmers. What makes SISC unique? SISC is a coaltion of producers, buyers, and public interest groups who are collaborating to develop and share metrics that all parties agree are the most important indicators of stewardship. By developing, refining and promoting farmer-tested tools that anyone can use to measure performance, SISC is aligned with many other initiatives globally in advocating for measuring specific outcomes rather than endorsing the use of less accountable 'checklists of practices' that many businesses have been asked to use.