Pictured: Nick Gardner, Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs at the U.S. Dairy Export Council and Chair of the USSA
Environmental protection and sustainability have lost significant importance under the current U.S. administration. However, Nick Gardner, Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs at the U.S. Dairy Export Council and Chair of the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA), believes this will have little impact on the alliance’s long-term goals.
Q. Communicating the state of sustainability in U.S. agriculture and correcting what it sees as misperceptions among European consumers – these are two of the main goals of the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA). What has been achieved so far?
The U.S. Sustainability Alliance has established itself as an umbrella organization representing a broad cross-section of U.S. agriculture, fisheries, and forestry groups. Together, these organizations account for roughly two-thirds of U.S. food and agricultural exports to the European Union. Thanks to this coordinated structure, the U.S. agriculture sector can present consistent, fact-based information on sustainability, rather than fragmented or sector-specific narratives.
The structure of the alliance reflects the diversity of its members: they face different sustainability challenges and pursue different approaches to reducing environmental impacts. At the same time, the alliance is built on a shared commitment to transparently communicate sustainability goals, progress, and priorities. Through continuous dialogue with European policymakers, industry representatives, and the media, the USSA has improved understanding among European audiences of how sustainability is implemented in the United States – particularly the role of conservation programs, science-based productivity gains, and the long-term stewardship of natural resources.
One key outcome has been greater awareness that U.S. sustainability performance is measured using indicators such as efficiency, emissions intensity, soil health, and water use, rather than prescriptive practices or protocols. This has helped reduce misperceptions about the rigor of environmental oversight or the level of commitment to long-term sustainability goals in the United States.
Q: What further activities are you planning to communicate your message?
The USSA plans to expand direct engagement with European audiences through structured dialogues, expert presentations, and targeted outreach to buyers, policymakers, and opinion leaders. Future activities will focus on making the sustainability efforts of our 28 partner organizations more visible.
Another priority is strengthening cooperation with international media and thought leaders, so that discussions about U.S. agriculture in Europe are based on first-hand reporting, scientific evidence, and the practical experience of producers. The USSA also intends to deepen collaboration with research institutions and trade organizations to enhance credibility and expand cooperation based on demonstrable and verifiable sustainability outcomes, particularly in the areas of soil health, climate resilience, water management, and supply chain measurement.
Q. Speaking with U.S. farmers, I got the impression that their definition of sustainability differs significantly from that of their European counterparts. A recent McKinsey survey of nearly 500 U.S. farmers found that while three-quarters had heard of renewable energy on farms, only 13% use it and just 7% plan to adopt it within the next two years. How do you assess the prospects for broader adoption of sustainable practices in the near future?
Different definitions of sustainability are real and reflect the diversity of U.S. agriculture, even among the alliance’s 28 member organizations. In the United States, sustainability is typically defined in terms of long-term productivity, profitability, and continuous improvement, rather than adherence to a fixed set of technologies, practices, or protocols. As a result, adoption rates can vary significantly depending on the practice, sector, and product.
In some cases, investments in on-farm renewable energy make economic sense due to power-generation potential, scalability, local infrastructure, or geographic location. In other cases, renewable energy investments are not economically viable, and limited resources are more efficiently directed towards alternative stewardship practices that also deliver significant environmental benefits.
While renewable energy adoption on farms may therefore be lower in some contexts, many other sustainability practices are already widely implemented, including precision agriculture, improved nutrient management, conservation tillage, soil health programs, and water efficiency measures, which are applied across millions of acres.
Further adoption in the near future is most likely where sustainability practices deliver measurable economic benefits or reduce exposure to climate or market risks. Buyer requirements, sustainability reporting expectations, and performance-based incentives are likely to play a greater role in driving adoption than voluntary uptake alone. Over the long term, this outcome-based approach is expected to continue expanding the adoption of sustainable practices, even if the uptake of specific technologies varies.
Q. The current administration is rolling back many environmental protection measures and cutting funding, reducing support for green energy, investing less in scientific research and promoting the renewed extraction of fossil fuels. How does this affect USSA’s goals?
The USSA’s goals are structured to be resilient to political changes. Much of the progress in sustainable agriculture in the United States is driven by long-standing conservation programs, private-sector investment, market expectations, and farmer-led innovation, rather than short-term policy priorities. Many efficiency gains in land use, water use, and emissions intensity have been achieved over decades and under different administrations, and these improvements are expected to continue regardless of political shifts.
While uncertainty may slow investment in certain areas, particularly capital-intensive technologies, the fundamental drivers of sustainability in U.S. agriculture remain strong. Global customer expectations, supply chain requirements, and the need to maintain productivity amid changing climate conditions will continue to shape producer behavior. The USSA’s role is to communicate these structural, long-term drivers clearly and credibly to European audiences.
Q. A large part of U.S. agricultural exports is still commodities such as soybeans and grains, while imports are mainly higher value-added products. How can you improve this to achieve a more favorable trade balance?
Improving the trade balance depends primarily on generating greater value from agricultural exports, rather than reducing the volume of commodity shipments. U.S. agriculture already operates globally, and sustainability performance is becoming increasingly important for access to premium markets.
By clearly demonstrating and communicating sustainability outcomes, U.S. exporters can strengthen their position in higher-value segments such as animal proteins, processed foods, specialty crops, forest products, and consumer goods ingredients.
Verified sustainability of U.S. agricultural, fisheries, and forestry products also supports longer term supply contracts and partnerships with European buyers, who value stable and reliable supply chains. Over time, closer alignment between sustainability performance and market requirements can increase the share of value-added exports while maintaining the reliability and scale that make sustainable U.S. products competitive in Europe.
About the U.S. Sustainability Alliance
The U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) is a group of more than 20 American organizations in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. As a voice for sustainability, the non-profit association, founded in 2013, aims to promote sustainable production methods, share data on environmental standards, and strengthen the export of U.S. agricultural products by demonstrating their sustainability.