DENVER, COLO. — The US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) announced new sustainability goals for the entire US beef supply chain on April 28.

The goals, which are available at USRSB.org, are looking to identify and enhance sustainability practices and support the data for current industry sustainability efforts. The new goals also are set with objectives to help producers and the industry bring more sustainable products to market.

“Producers, auction markets, feedyards, packers and processors, and retail and foodservice organizations have worked within their own sectors for decades to make US beef a more sustainable product,” said Steve Wooten, 2021/2022 USRSB chair and USRSB goals committee co-chair. “As an industry, it’s time to not only recognize that hard work, but also establish new ways stakeholders across the supply chain can work together to contribute to the overall sustainability of US beef.”

Wooten is also a cow-calf producer in Colorado.

USRSB’s goals are built around water resources, land resources, air and greenhouse gas emission, efficiency and yield, animal health and employee safety. These key indicators help build on the group’s primary pillars of sustainability that include the environment, social and economic factors.

“The goals and their corresponding sector targets provide a sound foundation on which each segment of the beef supply chain can continue to build their unique sustainability efforts,” said Sara Place, PhD, USRSB goals committee co-chair and chief sustainability officer for Elanco. “To help ensure stakeholders have everything they need to succeed, USRSB will continue to add to our suite of science-based tools and resources which will enable all segments of the industry to continue advancing their sustainability efforts with confidence.”