Q&A With DuPont’s Ray Forney

By K. Elliott Nowels|3 June 2011

Q: What are the Environmental Respect Awards and how did they start?
A: The Environmental Respect Awards (ERA) are the top honors awarded globally to crop protection retailers and distributors for excellence in conducting their business with the utmost responsible care for safety, health and the environment. These awards began more than 20 years ago. At DuPont we believe that increased awareness of these winning practices helps improve agriculture’s environmental stewardship.

Q: What is measured by the Self-audit Entry competitors prepare?
A: As a baseline, the Environmental Respect Awards self audit measures the facilities and preparedness an organization maintains to fulfill their committment to environmental stewardship. The ERA evaluation also examines the way the organization engages its community in environmental leadership.

Q: Where did those guidelines come from?
A: The Environmental Respect Awards audit guidelines are aligned with globally recognized stewardship standards like the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Codes of Practice and the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides which is maintained by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.

Q: Why carry out such an effort? Why stewardship?
A: Twenty years ago, DuPont was one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals. We have a firm commitment in recognizing and strengthening the connection between environmental stewardship and sustainability. Our company believes that long-term business success can only be achieved if the wider interests of society and local communities are understood, appropriately aligned and carefully developed.

Agriculture serves a critical role in society by providing food, feed, fiber and bio-based fuels and material. With so much at stake for humanity in how agriculture uses and nurtures natural resources, strong environmental stewardship is essential. By honoring those carrying out effective stewardship, we want to inspire others to embrace environmental stewardship practices and spotlight for our society the stewardship commitment and excellence that characterizes the best of modern agriculture.