DATE: April 2024 SECTOR: Agriculture SOURCE: The U.S. Soybean Export Council(USSEC) TOPIC: Sustainable U.S. soy SUMMARY: The ten-year history and growth of international U.S. soy shipments verified by the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) The post The Positive Momentum of U.S. Sustainable Soy appeared first on USSA ..read more

DATE: March 2024 SECTOR: Agriculture SOURCE: The U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) TOPIC: Laws and policies in U.S. sustainable agriculture SUMMARY: An overview of the key laws, policies, and programs in U.S. sustainable agriculture in four key areas: water, soil, climate change, and biodiversity. The post U.S. Sustainable Agriculture: Policies, Laws, and Programs appeared first on USSA ..read more

DATE: March 2024 SECTOR: Agriculture, Food Production SOURCE: The Goodstone Group TOPIC: Economic impact analysis SUMMARY: An annual study on the economic impact of the food and agriculture industries in the United States The post Feeding the Economy appeared first on USSA ..read more

A new U.S. Sustainability Alliance report provides insight into the laws, policies, and programs that support U.S. sustainable agriculture. While there is a perception in Europe that U.S. agricultural production is light on oversight, a robust framework of laws governs the sustainability and conservation of U.S. land and waters, some dating back more than a century. U.S. Sustainable Agriculture: Laws, Policies, and Programs aims to provide context and an accessible introduction to key federal legislation in four areas: soil health, water, climate change, and biodiversity. It covers notabl ..read more

The U.S. Sustainability Alliance continues to grow with the addition of the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), an executive agency of the Florida government charged with marketing, research, and regulation of the Florida citrus industry. FDOC expands USSA’s membership to 27 associations across farming, fisheries, forestry, and related production and processing sectors with a shared commitment to sustainability. John Fuller, Director of Global Marketing at the Florida Department of Citrus, says, “Citrus is a significant industry in Florida, contributing $6.9 billion to the state economy. Cons ..read more

USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor reflects a century of growth, innovation, and progress in agricultural trade in the United States. She outlines the factors that have contributed to trade success, from technology to productivity gains, and highlights the challenges presented by global food insecurity and climate change. This year marks the 100th anniversary of USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum, the department’s largest annual gathering. I was excited to participate in a panel session that reviewed the past one hundred years of agricultural t ..read more

Nancy, Merry, and Susie Calhoun are sisters, fourth-generation cattle ranchers, and award-winning conservationists in California’s Livermore Valley. They took over the reins of their family’s 100-acre (40-hectare) ranch from their parents, and plan to pass it down to the next generation. Until then, their aim is to “maximize the utilization of the land and resources while conserving the plants and wildlife.” A decade-long partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is helping the sisters meet their objectives. With assistance from NRCS’ Environmental Quality In ..read more

According to a preliminary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of U.S. cowhide production, leather’s environmental impact is significantly lower than previously stated by the Higg Index. The independent study was conducted by Greg Thoma, Director of Agricultural Modeling and Lifecycle Assessment for the AgNext program at Colorado State University, and funded by the Leather and Hide Council of America (L&HCA) on behalf of the leather industry. It found that, depending on the category of impact calculated, the contribution of cowhide production to leather’s environmental footprint was overstated by ..read more

Sustainable U.S. soy featured prominently at Economist Impact’s 9th annual Sustainability Week in London, which was sponsored by The U.S. Soybean Export Council. Meagan Kaiser, a soybean farmer and soil scientist, participated in a panel discussion on regenerative agriculture with experts from BASF, McCain Foods, Heineken Group, and the Soil Association. During the discussion, Meagan shared her understanding of regenerative agriculture, her motivation for using regenerative practices, and the importance and challenge of measuring the benefits. “Everybody can benefit from regenerative agricultu ..read more

The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) is an executive agency of Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida citrus industry. Its activities are funded by an assessment paid by growers on each box of citrus that moves through commercial channels. The industry employs 33,000 people, provides an annual economic impact of $6.7 billion to the state, and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues that help support Florida’s schools, roads and health care services. The FDOC also has extensive regulatory responsibilities, covering every aspe ..read more