U.S. Farmer Spotlight: Rice Farmer Scott Matthews on Why Irrigation is Like a Giant Math Equation
USSA spoke to him about water conservation and some of the innovative irrigation practices he implements on his farm.
Read more
USSA spoke to him about water conservation and some of the innovative irrigation practices he implements on his farm.
Read more
Doug Winter is a fifth-generation soybean grower from Mill Shoals, Illinois and the vice chairman of the U.S. Soybean Export Council.
Read more
He spoke to us about the precise cost, productivity and sustainability benefits of using the right amount of fertilizer where it’s needed and reducing tillage passes on his fields.
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
Greg Baltz operates Running Lake Farms in Randolph County, Arkansas. He explains why corn and peanuts are the perfect crop rotation policy that allows him to farm sustainably whilst minimizing his use of fertilizer.
Read more
U.S. organic food sales in 2020 were up a record 12.8% to a new high of €46 billion ($56.4 billion), representing almost 6% of U.S. food sales.
Read more
Jay Hardwick traded a life in academia for what has turned out to be a fruitful career in farming. Today he grows mainly cotton, corn and soybeans on his family’s 12,000-acre operation in Tensas Parish, North East Louisiana.
Read more
Fourth-generation soybean and corn farmer Monte Peterson explains why he uses GMOs in order to farm more sustainably and safely.
Read more
The initiative will focus on row crop rotations to build on the company’s 2030 climate commitment.
Read more
He is constantly striving to implement new practices and innovations that make the farm more efficient, more sustainable and more profitable.
Read more
USSA spoke to him about water conservation and some of the innovative irrigation practices he implements on his farm.
Read more
Doug Winter is a fifth-generation soybean grower from Mill Shoals, Illinois and the vice chairman of the U.S. Soybean Export Council.
Read more
He spoke to us about the precise cost, productivity and sustainability benefits of using the right amount of fertilizer where it’s needed and reducing tillage passes on his fields.
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
Greg Baltz operates Running Lake Farms in Randolph County, Arkansas. He explains why corn and peanuts are the perfect crop rotation policy that allows him to farm sustainably whilst minimizing his use of fertilizer.
Read more
U.S. organic food sales in 2020 were up a record 12.8% to a new high of €46 billion ($56.4 billion), representing almost 6% of U.S. food sales.
Read more
Jay Hardwick traded a life in academia for what has turned out to be a fruitful career in farming. Today he grows mainly cotton, corn and soybeans on his family’s 12,000-acre operation in Tensas Parish, North East Louisiana.
Read more
Fourth-generation soybean and corn farmer Monte Peterson explains why he uses GMOs in order to farm more sustainably and safely.
Read more
The initiative will focus on row crop rotations to build on the company’s 2030 climate commitment.
Read more
He is constantly striving to implement new practices and innovations that make the farm more efficient, more sustainable and more profitable.
Read more
After more than three decades of tree farming, Jay and Kathryn Libby have won the 2025 Maine Outstanding Tree Farm Award.
Read more
The Ellis family - Benjamin, Shannon and their son Tripp - farm in the environmentally sensitive and highly regulated Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
May 2025. A detailed overview of U.S. agricultural exports in 2024, highlighting key export markets and top-performing commodities.
Download now
May 2025. A comprehensive farmgate life cycle assessment (LCA) that enhances understanding of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. dairy industry.
Download now
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.
Download now
April 2025. An updated study examining the contributions of U.S. grain exports to the U.S. economy.
Download now
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Watch now