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In this issue, we share insights from Board Member and former EPA Administrator Bill Ruckelshaus in the Washington Post and the New York Times, announce two Senior Fellows, highlight recent project work across the globe and explain how we can help you "map" challenging public policy issues facing your organization or sector.
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Bill Ruckelshaus, Meridian Board Member, Joins Fellow Republican Former EPA Administrators in Calling for Collaboration to Address Climate Change
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Meridian Board Member Bill Ruckelshaus, who has twice served as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, joined two other former EPA Administrators, Lee Thomas and William Reilly, in a May 26 Washington Post op-ed, "Three Republican EPA Administrators: Trump is putting us on a dangerous path". Ruckelshaus has been outspoken this spring about the importance of action to protect human health and the environment. In March, he penned an op-ed in the New York Times, "A Lesson Trump and the E.P.A. Should Heed," which reflects on his time at the agency and the importance of its mission.
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Meridian Institute Welcomes Senior Fellows
Michael Taylor and Deborah Atwood
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Michael Taylor
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Deborah Atwood
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We are pleased to welcome two Senior Fellows— Michael Taylor and Deborah Atwood! These public policy leaders bring to Meridian a wealth of diverse expertise in food and agriculture. Before joining Meridian, Mike served as Deputy Commissioner for Policy at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His areas of expertise include nutrition, food security, and public health. Currently, Mike is involved in global food safety and food security work in Africa and other developing regions of the world. Deb has served as Executive Director of the AGree Initiative, housed and managed by Meridian Institute, and will now also be a Meridian Senior Fellow. She has a deep passion for Meridian’s mission, and we look forward to broadening our work with Deb on issues related to food, agriculture, and natural resources. For more information, please click here.
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Meridian Helps Make Headlines
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Joint Ocean Commission Releases Ocean Action Agenda
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (JOCI)—a senior-level collaboration housed at Meridian and involving national ocean policy leaders across sectors—has released an interactive digital report, the Ocean Action Agenda. The report takes readers on a visual journey across our oceans and coasts, showcasing the input from JOCI's Regional Ocean Leadership Roundtables and connecting the need for action with real people and places. JOCI is using the report as a platform to brief national leaders including U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and members of Congress about the need to support regional ocean economies and ecosystems.
Crop Insurance Rules Hinder Soil Health
In a recent Agri-Pulse op-ed, AGree Co-Chair Jim Moseley and the National Wildlife Federation's Ryan Stockwell explain the importance of soil health in improving producer profitability and environmental outcomes, outline the barriers associated with cover crop rules in crop insurance, and propose a policy solution to address those barriers.
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Want Healthier Soil? Link It to Crop Insurance
A Cornell University research article partially funded by our AGree Initiative was published in the prestigious American Journal of Agricultural Economics. The article provides a proof of concept for integrating soil data into federal crop insurance rate determinations. In early May, the food and agriculture news source Civil Eats published a story on the potentially far-reaching implications of this research.
Dot Eco Domain Launch
In April, Meridian and partner Big Room Inc. celebrated the launch of the “.eco” domain, the outcome of nine years of stakeholder negotiations (some of which were facilitated by Meridian) to establish a standardized internet domain name for the environmental community. The .eco domain name creates a universally recognized emblem of environmental sustainability for global environmental organizations. Read more here.
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Issue Mapping and Landscape Assessment
The planning and preparation you do before you sit down in a meeting is vital to a productive discussion, particularly if the subject is complex and contentious. In addition to designing and facilitating meetings, we help partners better understand the inherent technical and social trends, policies, and stakeholder perspectives that provide the context for their work. One way we do this is through “issue mapping” which involves:
- Identifying the stakeholders who are knowledgeable about the issue, making sure to reach beyond the “usual suspects.”
- Interviewing diverse thought leaders. These off-the-record conversations provide invaluable insights about what key people think and why.
- Outlining key trends and dynamics – be they political, environmental, social, economic, or technical.
- Synthesizing key themes and findings for internal and external audiences.
The following are three examples of our issue mapping and landscape assessment work in the agriculture sector:
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We work on a wide range of issues, across diverse geographies and sectors. See how we are making a difference on issues related to your work!
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Climate Change and Food Systems
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In May, Meridian and a team of expert authors released a draft report on climate change and food systems at the Global Alliance for the Future of Food’s International Dialogue in Paris, France. The report synthesizes existing information about climate change, food, and agriculture to show interactions between value chain components (e.g., processing, transportation, consumption, etc.). It also identifies opportunities for transitioning to more sustainable food systems, and suggests a framework for assessing system-level impacts.
Read more about Meridian's Climate Change and Energy projects.
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Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa
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The Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA) is now part of the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture. PACA, which is jointly funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development and others, works to ensure the long-term viability of aflatoxin control across Africa through research and analysis, new technologies, and capacity-building among key value-chain actors. PACA is currently advancing AflaSTOP and Aflasafe projects, which respectively deploy crop storage and drying and biocontrol technologies. Meridian initiated the PACA development process in 2010 with African leaders, providing strategic planning, process design, and project development support to help PACA transform from a concept to a fully functioning institution within the AUC. Read more about PACA in this recent newsletter.
Read more about Meridian's Agriculture and Food Security projects.
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Center for Resilience Studies Network
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Following a devastating 2015 flood in South Carolina, Meridian and Northeastern University's Center for Resilience Studies Network (CRSNET) engaged community-members and policymakers in workshops and interviews to analyze factors that will encourage the long-term resilience of affected communities. Meridian also helped to produce a short video that communicates critical lessons learned and workshop outcomes.
Read more about Meridian’s Community and Regional Resilience Institute and broader work on Sustainability and Resilience.
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The Resilient Power Project (RPP) works to accelerate the market development of resilient, clean energy solutions for vulnerable communities by engaging stakeholders in evaluating the climate adaptation and resiliency benefits of solar and storage technology. The project has supported the construction of more than 20 operational clean energy installations since 2015. Meridian supports the RPP as a convener, facilitator, and strategic adviser.
Read more about Meridian's Climate Change and Energy projects.
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