Message from Kevin

Nothing about us, without us.

The origin of this phrase is rooted in Central European politics, but I think it’s helpful to think about when considering the farmer and rancher voice and the importance of making sure it is heard in any discussion about agricultural practices.

USFRA board member Jennifer Crall, Global Head of Partnerships-Growers Engagement and AgriChain at Bayer Crop Science, posted recently, “When farmers are brought to the table, their invaluable insights and firsthand experiences shape the direction of agricultural practices in profound ways. By actively engaging with farmers, we gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face and the solutions that are most practical and effective on the ground. Involving farmers in decision-making processes fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment within the agricultural community. When farmers have a seat at the table, they become champions of change, driving innovation and advocating for practices that prioritize sustainability, productivity, and resilience.”

This is exactly why USFRA is committed to lifting the voice of all farmers and ranchers on the domestic and international stages. It’s why we participate in technical working groups tackling GHG accounting guidance and interpretation of Science Based Targets and GHG Protocol. It’s why we work to bring farmers to key convenings such as the United Nations Climate Conference, the Regenerative Agriculture and Food Systems Summit and the Future of Food and Beverage USA, among others. Doing so ensures that the insight and practical experience of farmers and ranchers are recognized and helps create better understanding of how U.S. agriculture is helping solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kevin Burkum

CEO

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action

2024 Honor the Harvest Forum Less than Three Months Away

Invitations are being sent, the agenda is nearing completion and sponsors are lining up to support the 2024 Honor the Harvest Forum, being held in Salt Lake City, September 10-12. The four key topics being discussed this year include: future-proofing agriculture; water use; investing in biodiversity; and AI technology in agriculture.

Our sponsors allow us to bring together leaders in farming, ranching, food, energy, technology, science and finance to generate new ideas, develop partnerships and determine actionable results to advance U.S. agriculture. ?We’d like to recognize and thank the sponsoring organizations that have stepped up to support the event so far. We appreciate their leadership.

New Developments Reported with Value Change Initiative

USFRA is contributing to the Food and Agriculture Working Group of the Value Change Initiative (VCI), a peer-to-peer learning forum that brings together more than 100 experts to develop solutions for achieving value chain emission reductions and removals. Driven by Sustain CERT and Gold Standard, the technical group is tackling Scope 3 GHG accounting guidance and interpretation of Science Based Targets and GHG Protocol. We are helping to provide a farmer and rancher perspective in these discussions.

One solution currently being discussed is the Supply Shed approach. A supply shed can be defined as a set of suppliers (e.g., farmers, grain aggregators) in a particular market area which provide similar commodities to a company’s supply chain. The Supply Shed method can be helpful when source tracing an individual grain to an individual farmer is not possible, but it can be demonstrated and is auditable to know what group of suppliers the commodity comes from. The baseline GHG emissions are calculated within the Supply Shed and then emission reductions or removals are quantified to calculate the overall reduction in GHG emissions. This allows for co-investment and co-claiming which could also bring additional margin to farmers, the grain aggregators, and multiple buyers of a single commodity’s derivatives.

If you have questions or feedback you’d like to make sure is shared with VCI, please contact: [email protected]

Exploring Sustainable Egg Production

Thanks to USFRA member United Egg Producers we explore advancements being made in egg production. From renewable energy sources to water conservation efforts, U.S. egg producers are leading the charge in sustainable food production.

Learn more.

Farm + Food + Facts Podcast

Tune in to our latest podcast episode featuring POET 's Doug Berven , Vice President of Corporate Affairs and a member of USFRA’s Board of Directors Executive Committee.

Doug joins host Joanna Guza to discuss the global landscape of biofuels. They explore the different sources countries use to produce biofuels, identify the most successful biofuel producers and unpack the challenges and future of biofuels in the U.S.

Listen NOW.

Don’t forget to subscribe and tune in to our monthly podcast Farm + Food + Facts!