As the world convened for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) to address some of the most pressing global challenges, the leather industry came to the table with a solution, not a problem. Kevin Latner of the Leather & Hide Council of America elaborates in an exclusive article for the USSA.
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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 […]
Read moreThe new Rewind documentary series from Real Leather Stay Different. aims to provide some balance in the debate about the use of our land, fast fashion and our future.
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The Real Leather. Stay Different international student design competition is back for a second year. Its mission is to find the world’s emerging design talent and promote slow, sustainable style over fast, throw-away fashion.
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Thanks to new processes and technologies, the leather production industry has cut its water footprint by 37% in the past 25 years and it’s improving all the time.
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It would damage the environment, create more waste, increase greenhouse gases, and drive more demand for cheap, often polluting substitutes.
Read more
L&HCA, responsible for almost half the worldwide trade in hides, set out a goal to reduce waste by using every hide from the dairy and meat industry and expand its traceability program developed with NGOs.
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The Leather & Hide Council of America is taking its successful student design competition global. This year, students from around the world will be able to compete in an open […]
Read moreFrom the energy of the sun to the power of the waves. Look to nature first, as the sustainable way to nurture and support our lives, and our lifestyles. For […]
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The global leather industry is calling to suspend the leather score in the Higg Materials Sustainability Index because it is based on “inappropriate methodologies” and “out-of-date, unrepresentative, inaccurate and incomplete data.”
Read more
As the world convened for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) to address some of the most pressing global challenges, the leather industry came to the table with a solution, not a problem. Kevin Latner of the Leather & Hide Council of America elaborates in an exclusive article for the USSA.
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 […]
Read more
The new Rewind documentary series from Real Leather Stay Different. aims to provide some balance in the debate about the use of our land, fast fashion and our future.
Read more
The Real Leather. Stay Different international student design competition is back for a second year. Its mission is to find the world’s emerging design talent and promote slow, sustainable style over fast, throw-away fashion.
Read more
Thanks to new processes and technologies, the leather production industry has cut its water footprint by 37% in the past 25 years and it’s improving all the time.
Read more
It would damage the environment, create more waste, increase greenhouse gases, and drive more demand for cheap, often polluting substitutes.
Read more
L&HCA, responsible for almost half the worldwide trade in hides, set out a goal to reduce waste by using every hide from the dairy and meat industry and expand its traceability program developed with NGOs.
Read more
The Leather & Hide Council of America is taking its successful student design competition global. This year, students from around the world will be able to compete in an open […]
Read moreFrom the energy of the sun to the power of the waves. Look to nature first, as the sustainable way to nurture and support our lives, and our lifestyles. For […]
Read more
The global leather industry is calling to suspend the leather score in the Higg Materials Sustainability Index because it is based on “inappropriate methodologies” and “out-of-date, unrepresentative, inaccurate and incomplete data."
Read more
After more than three decades of tree farming, Jay and Kathryn Libby have won the 2025 Maine Outstanding Tree Farm Award.
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The Ellis family - Benjamin, Shannon and their son Tripp - farm in the environmentally sensitive and highly regulated Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
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As the public and private sectors increasingly choose building materials based on factors such as carbon footprint and renewability rather than solely on cost, sustainably sourced wood products offer a promising solution.
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The old Hawaiian proverb “The land is chief, and man is its servant” guides Parker Ranch and its cow-calf operation. The ranch raises cattle in a way that respects natural resources while ensuring cattle health, beef quality and food safety.
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May 2025. A detailed overview of U.S. agricultural exports in 2024, highlighting key export markets and top-performing commodities.
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May 2025. A comprehensive farmgate life cycle assessment (LCA) that enhances understanding of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. dairy industry.
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May 2025. The latest annual report from The Peanut Research Foundation, the American Peanut Council's research arm, highlights the latest research innovation and investments aimed at keeping the U.S. peanut industry competitive.
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April 2025. An updated study examining the contributions of U.S. grain exports to the U.S. economy.
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USSA News: latest agricultural trade export data, new dairy LCA, Maine's forest stewards.
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The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has achieved its sixth consecutive year of growth. The voluntary sustainability program for U.S. cotton now represents 18% more acres and 14% more growers than in 2024.
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins led a trade delegation to Rome, Italy, in early June as part of a program to expand market access for U.S. agricultural products in Europe.
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In 2024, the value of U.S. agricultural exports reached $176 billion, the third-highest total on record. The European Union (EU) emerged as the fourth-largest market for these exports, with tree nuts ranking as the top export commodity in the region.
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Whilst the USSA members work to exceed regulatory requirement, U.S. laws and regulations provide a robust framework, developed over many years, to ensure and promote the sustainability of its crop, livestock, seafood and forestry sectors. The policies look to immediate impacts on the environment and beyond to cover topics from employment to biodiversity to endangered species. The following pages provide context and an introduction to key federal legislation.
Focused on conservation and environmental stewardship, the USDA, working with The Natural Resources Conservation Service on technical assessment and the Farm Service Agency for enforcements, uses grant management to deliver best practice. A particular focus is on erodible lands and wetlands, with ‘sodbuster’ and ‘swampbuster’ rules, requires presentation of conservation strategies prior to conversion of lands to agricultural use. One result, that soil loss has been halved since 1982.
The U.S. recognizes that sustainability has many facets and action is required in explicit areas. This has resulted in the enactment of a wide range of laws from the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act to the Endangered Species Act, to research and regulatory action on Insecticides and Fungicides and Rodenticide Act; and, with the Lacey Act a focus on illegal trafficking of plants, fish and animals.
In the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability, we hear from two multi-generational farmers – an eleventh-generation grains farmer from Maryland and the owner of a centennial cattle farm in Louisiana – about how they have moved with the times while staying true to their roots. We cover rotational grazing, no-till cultivation, water conservation, biotech seeds, and more. And we discuss why going back to the natural cycle is sometimes the best approach.
Tune in to the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability to hear how Paul Catanzaro and Professor Tony D’Amato work together to reach family forest owners and ensure they have the information and resources to make the right decisions about their land. And learn about the vital role Tim Stout, a Vermont landowner, plays in amplifying their message.
Tune in for the lowdown on the innovative, often surprising ways the almond industry and the wider food sector are reducing waste. Jet fuel, beer, water filters and peat moss to grow mushrooms – these are just some of the many applications in use and under development.
Discover how softwoods were used in the architecture of PDX Main Terminal, Portland, Oregon, in this new series from the Softwood Export Council.
Watch nowThis new series from the Softwood Export Council spotlights the global reach and versatility of American softwoods in architecture, offering a behind-the-scenes look at sustainable forestry practices.
Watch nowThis new series from the American Feed Industry Association explores the $267 billion U.S. animal food industry, offering insights into its scale and impact.
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