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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In mid-October, the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) hosted three European Union (EU) officials for a Climate Smart Agriculture mission to the United States. The mission aimed to enhance understanding of U.S. conservation programs and highlight U.S. leadership in agricultural sustainability.
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August 2024. In 2020, 15% of animal hides produced in the United States were either burned or ended up in landfills, according to data from the Leather and Hide Council of America. A new report from AURI and USDA outlines research into new potential uses for these waste hides aimed at reducing the cost of removing them for small processors while delivering revenue and increasing market resilience.
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According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately one-third of the food produced globally each year goes to waste.
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Welcome to the U.S. Sustainability Alliance’s February newsletter! In this edition, we introduce our newest member and report on the U.S. Census of Agriculture, highlighting key conservation trends.
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Ricky Dollison is a fourth-generation Black farmer from Poulan in Worth County, Georgia. He is the proud owner of Dollison Farms, a 220-acre operation established by his grandfather almost 75 […]
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Dr. Chris Calkins, Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, argues that strong, sustainable trading relationships are based on fact. The key is having a genuinely distinctive product and effectively […]
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The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to representing the business, legislative, and regulatory interests of the U.S. animal food industry and its suppliers. AFIA’s members include over 650 domestic and international companies, such as livestock feed and pet food manufacturers, integrators, pharmaceutical companies, ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and supply companies that provide other products or services to feed manufacturers. Several state, national, and regional associations are also AFIA members. No other association represents all these facets of the U.S. animal food industry. The AFIA is also recognized as the leader on international industry developments, representing the industry at global forums, including within the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF).
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The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) introduction of updated standards for organic livestock and poultry production. The standards are expected to create “a […]
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U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) members will be championing sustainability at events across Europe this October. They’ll be exhibiting at the ANUGA trade show in Cologne, speaking at Food Integrity Global […]
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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
In mid-October, the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) hosted three European Union (EU) officials for a Climate Smart Agriculture mission to the United States. The mission aimed to enhance understanding of U.S. conservation programs and highlight U.S. leadership in agricultural sustainability.
Read more
August 2024. In 2020, 15% of animal hides produced in the United States were either burned or ended up in landfills, according to data from the Leather and Hide Council of America. A new report from AURI and USDA outlines research into new potential uses for these waste hides aimed at reducing the cost of removing them for small processors while delivering revenue and increasing market resilience.
Read more
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately one-third of the food produced globally each year goes to waste.
Read more
Welcome to the U.S. Sustainability Alliance’s February newsletter! In this edition, we introduce our newest member and report on the U.S. Census of Agriculture, highlighting key conservation trends.
Read more
Ricky Dollison is a fourth-generation Black farmer from Poulan in Worth County, Georgia. He is the proud owner of Dollison Farms, a 220-acre operation established by his grandfather almost 75 […]
Read more
Dr. Chris Calkins, Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, argues that strong, sustainable trading relationships are based on fact. The key is having a genuinely distinctive product and effectively […]
Read more
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to representing the business, legislative, and regulatory interests of the U.S. animal food industry and its suppliers. AFIA’s members include over 650 domestic and international companies, such as livestock feed and pet food manufacturers, integrators, pharmaceutical companies, ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and supply companies that provide other products or services to feed manufacturers. Several state, national, and regional associations are also AFIA members. No other association represents all these facets of the U.S. animal food industry. The AFIA is also recognized as the leader on international industry developments, representing the industry at global forums, including within the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF).
Read more
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) introduction of updated standards for organic livestock and poultry production. The standards are expected to create “a […]
Read more
U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) members will be championing sustainability at events across Europe this October. They’ll be exhibiting at the ANUGA trade show in Cologne, speaking at Food Integrity Global […]
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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