Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released U.S. cattle industry sustainability goals to set targets that can demonstrate to the world that already sustainable beef producers are committed to continued improvement.

The goals for the U.S. cattle industry include:

Demonstrate climate neutrality of U.S. cattle production by 2040.
Create and enhance opportunities that result in a quantifiable increase in producer profitability and economic sustainability by 2025.
Enhance trust in cattle producers as responsible stewards of their animals and resources by expanding educational opportunities in animal care and handling programs to further improve animal well-being.
Continuously improve our industry’s workforce safety and well-being.

“Cattlemen and women have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability for generations. They work tirelessly to protect the land, water and air resources in their care. Through countless improvements in genetics, grazing management, manure handling and the adoption of many other technologies, this is just the next step on our industry’s path,” said Marty Smith, a Florida cattleman and NCBA past president. “Producers deserve recognition for their use of cutting-edge practices and technologies that minimize environmental impact. By setting goals, we’re publicly committing to continuous improvement and setting targets that allow us to measure and document those efforts.”

These goals are the culmination of a grassroots, rancher-led process. The Sustainability Goals Task Force was formed in 2021 to evaluate the current state of U.S. beef cattle sustainability, determine which improvements are most critical and help share the story of progress. Members of this working group – cattle farmers and ranchers from across the U.S. – led the process and made all decisions, including setting the sustainability goals.

To learn more about the cattle industry’s sustainability goals, go to ncba.org/sustainability.

NCBA CEO Colin Woodall talks more about the sustainability focus of the industry in this interview.
CIC2021 Interview with Colin Woodall, NCBA CEO 4:05

Cattle Industry Convention virtual news room.

2021 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Photo Album