Insight, new 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.
When Jesús López Colmenarejo, a leading agrifood journalist from Grupo Editorial Agrícola in Madrid, Spain, visited Louisiana last year, his eyes were opened to the reality of sustainable U.S. agriculture.
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To mark Black History Month, we profile the fifth-generation Black-owned family farm supplying Target with sustainable cotton as part of the Target Forward sustainability strategy.
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From deforestation and subsequent loss of biodiversity to GHG emissions, soy production often gets bad press. Hear the other side of the story from Mac Marshall, Vice President, Market Intelligence, The United Soybean Board, as he asserts the benefits of soy cultivation.
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An interview with Abby Rinne from the U.S. Sustainability Alliance by Agricultura journalist and Editorial Agrícola publishing director Jesús López Colmenarejo.
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14 December 2022: The report sets out how California’s dairy sector can reduce methane emissions by 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030.
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January 2023: This report summarizes USDA’s progress toward its science goals in 2022 as it strives to make research programs more equitable, tackle food and nutrition security, develop climate-smart solutions, and build more and better markets.
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February 13, 2023: An overview of the Corn Sustainability Assurance Protocol, an initiative that gives insights into the sustainability of U.S. corn practices and regulations.
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A comprehensive set of papers that summarizes major U.S. federal laws that affect the crop, livestock, fishery and forestry sectors.
Download nowWhen Jesús López Colmenarejo, a leading agrifood journalist from Grupo Editorial Agrícola in Madrid, Spain, visited Louisiana last year, his eyes were opened to the reality of sustainable U.S. agriculture.
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He launched the first projects in U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) $3.1 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.
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Funding awardees include the University of Arkansas, which received $5 million for a project to deliver scalable and intelligent automation in poultry processing using the latest technologies in areas including robotics, digital sensing, and artificial intelligence.
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In honor of Women’s History Month this March and International Women’s Day, we celebrate some of the women who are making a difference and championing excellence in farming, forestry, and fisheries.
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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.
Hear directly from noted seafood chef and author Barton Seaver about the sustainability of the American lobster industry.
Watch nowThe 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.
Watch nowThis video highlights the emphasis on sustainability by the U.S. beef industry. Watch this story of beef farmers’ and ranchers’ multi-generational commitment to the environment with buyers and consumers around the world.
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