This metric is intended to capture the amount of land that was indirectly controlled, supported, or influenced by the organization and operated under sustainable land management practices during the reporting period.
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Sustainable practices commonly include: crop rotations that mitigate weeds, disease, insect, and other pest problems, provide alternative sources of soil nitrogen, reduce soil erosion, and reduce risk of water contamination by agricultural chemicals. Common practices also include pest control strategies that are not harmful to natural systems, farmers, their neighbors, or consumers. This includes integrated pest management techniques that reduce the need for pesticides by practices such as: scouting, use of resistant cultivars, timing of planting, biological pest controls, increased mechanical/biological weed control, more soil and water conservation practices, strategic use of animal and green manures, and use of natural or synthetic inputs in a way that poses no significant hazard to man, animals, or the environment.
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The scope of this metric includes land indirectly controlled by the organization (i.e., land that the organization supports or influences but does not directly cultivate or manage). Examples in which an organization indirectly controls land may include purchase contracts, sourcing from farmer cooperatives, and providing products and services to farmers and other organizations that cultivate and manage land.