Insights and Opinion Archives

Bright Spots for Sustainable Agriculture

Can agriculture meet the demands of a growing world population while ensuring environmental sustainability? Daniel Lapidus, Director of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at RTI International, highlights important trends on both the supply and demand sides that suggest we are heading in the right direction.

Balancing Planet and Profit in Southeast Arkansas

Glynn and Ruth Gibson from southeast Arkansas are a small but mighty force in American ranching. Their cattle operation may be modest, but their dedication to conservation and innovation is anything but.

Introducing Maine’s Forest Management Champions

After more than three decades of tree farming, Jay and Kathryn Libby have won the 2025 Maine Outstanding Tree Farm Award.

The Virginia Family Farm Conserving Centuries of Stewardship

The Ellis family - Benjamin, Shannon and their son Tripp - farm in the environmentally sensitive and highly regulated Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Why Sustainably Produced Forest Products Have the Edge

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.

Parker Ranch, Hawaii: Caring for the Land, Cattle and Customers

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.

Healthy Soils, Resilient Farms: Lessons from U.S. Soil Conservation

Healthy soils are the foundation of productivity and climate resilience, as highlighted by USSA’s David Green and Maite Caballero in an article for Open Access Government.

Leather and Sustainability: A Call to Action at COP29

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.

Better Seed, Better World: Plant Breeding Innovation Can Feed the World and Save the Planet

Farmers are under increasing pressure due to climate change, global conflicts, and trade disruptions. However, advances in plant breeding offer hope, writes Andy LaVigne, the President and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA).

Interview: USSEC’s Tarik Eluri on U.S. Soy Sustainability, From Innovation to Verification

Tarik Eluri, sustainability manager at the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), a founding member of the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA), recently discussed U.S. sustainable agriculture with Spain’s Fundación Antama – a non-profit that promotes new technologies for agrifood and the environment.

Can the Feed Industry Provide the Solutions Agriculture Needs?

In a landmark move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bovaer® - a feed ingredient that reduces enteric methane emissions from dairy cows - for use in the United States. What are the implications?

Meet Dairy Farmers the Beck Brothers – Sustainability Champions and TV Stars!

To mark National Dairy Month, we visit a New York dairy farm to look at some of the advances that have led to these improvements. Meet the Beck Brothers, the stars of a new TV documentary!