FTM and USRSB announce partnership

On March 29, Field to Market (FTM): The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) announced an agreement establishing mutual recognition of the value and importance of each organization’s work and a commitment to foster an increased level of collaboration. In the agreement, USRSB agreed to recognize the role FTM plays in defining sustainable production for feed commodities utilized in beef production. In the same way, FTM agreed to recognize USRSB’s role in defining sustainable beef production. “By collaborating with the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, we can offer tangible solutions to the livestock value chain by exploring opportunities to combine our measurement approaches,” said Rod Snyder, president of FTM. “We are particularly excited to bring greater transparency and continuous improvement in feed production, which in turn will positively impact the overall sustainability of beef.” The organizations will also: Encourage USRSB and FTM members, where applicable, to utilize the resources of both organizations in pilot projects, potential supply chain agreements and appropriate public facing communication; share scientific learnings where appropriate; and participate in the other’s meetings and work sessions, providing feedback and expertise where needed. “We realize the sustainability of the beef industry must include all facets of what goes into putting that hamburger or steak on our tables,” said Rickette Collins, chair of the USRSB. “By sharing learnings and expertise, USRSB and Field to Market can lead the beef industry to better solutions to the sustainability challenges we all face throughout the value-chain.” As the first step in identifying opportunities, the organizations formed a task force comprised of members of FTM and/or USRSB, including: Cargill; Corteva Agriscience—the agriculture division of DowDuPont; McDonald’s; National Corn Growers Association; Texas Cattle Feeders Association; The Nature Conservancy; and World Wildlife Fund. — WLJ