Information Center

Insight, news and views

From Opinion and Insights to the latest in technologies and news straight from the fields, here you will find information about the produce and work of our members and their innovation in U.S. farming, fishing and forestry.

Insights and Opinion

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Latest Reports

The 2024 United States Agricultural Export Yearbook

May 2025. A detailed overview of U.S. agricultural exports in 2024, highlighting key export markets and top-performing commodities.

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Spatially Resolved Greenhouse Gas Emissions of U.S. Milk Production in 2020

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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Innovation Today for Tomorrow’s Crops: The Peanut Research Foundation’s 2024 Annual Report

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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The Value of Grain Exports Study

April 2025. An updated study examining the contributions of U.S. grain exports to the U.S. economy.

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Latest News Articles

USSA Newsletter: May 2025

This month, our lead story is the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture’s recent visit to the UK, following a historic trade deal. We also celebrate the 90th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service by exploring the agency’s history and evolution.

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U.S. Visit to the UK Aims to Boost Trade

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently visited the UK following the announcement of a trade deal aimed at lowering tariffs and removing trade barriers.

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New Insights into Sustainable U.S. Agriculture, From Forests to Feed

As part of a commitment to share information about U.S. agriculture, USSA members have released a series of videos to bring their sector’s sustainability stories to life.

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USSA Newsletter: April 2025

This month, we share the findings from the U.S. wheat industry’s first Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). We also report on U.S. agriculture’s multitrillion-dollar contribution to the American economy and its vital role in export trade.

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Policies and Regulations

U.S. LAWS AND REGULATIONS

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.

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U.S. CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

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.

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U.S. SUSTAINABILITY LAWS

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.

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Latest Podcasts

EP8- FARMING HERITAGE: RESPECTING TRADITION, EMBRACING CHANGE

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.

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EP7- FORESTS AND THEIR ROLE AS A NATURAL CLIMATE SOLUTION

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.

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EP6- FROM JET FUEL TO BEER: NEW USSA PODCAST UNCOVERS INNOVATIVE USES FOR FOOD WASTE

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.

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Recent Videos

Wood in Architecture: Building with U.S. Softwoods [2/2]

Discover how softwoods were used in the architecture of PDX Main Terminal, Portland, Oregon, in this new series from the Softwood Export Council.

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Wood in Architecture: Building with U.S. Softwoods [1/2]

This 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.

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Industry Excellence Video Series

This 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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