24. Michael Sligh, veteran organic farming advocate

Sustainable Agriculture Policy with Ron Kroese

“I don’t believe we can get to the shores of sustainability with environmental stewardship alone. We must marry justice into this conversation. And until we do, we really won’t get where we all believe we desperately need to get to.” -Michael Sligh

This week, Ron has a conversation with Michael about promotion of agro-biodiversity, organic, competitive markets, food justice, and more.

At the time of this interview, Michael was a program director for Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA). He managed the above plus policy, research, and education regarding agricultural best practices, fair trade and other value-added food labeling, policy, and marketing issues. He also helped coordinate the Seeds and Breeds Coalition for the 21st Century aimed at reinvigorating public cultivars to meet the challenges of climate change and organic/sustainable market demands.

Michael has been involved in domestic and international agricultural policy development, organizing, food labeling, standards, certification and accreditation work for over 35 years including: founding chair of the USDA/ National Organic Standards Board; a founder of Domestic Fair Trade Association, National Organic Coalition, and Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group; founding members of National Family Farm Coalition and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; board member of the International Organic Accreditation Service; former NGO delegate to UN Codex/FAO/WHO Food Labeling Commission and WTO; founding partner of Agricultural Justice Project, which has developed domestic fair trade standards for North America.

He is a part-time family farmer and a trained anthropologist who lives, farms, and works from North Carolina.

The interview was conducted on Dec. 4, 2017.

Additional links this episode:
National Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive (video link)
“The New Deal’s Impacts on Sharecropping and Tenant Farming in the US South: A History”

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