NPPC engages in environmental justice policy discussions

Jan 23, 2024

By Farms.com

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is at the forefront of discussions on environmental justice, as the federal government expands its focus in this area. The NPPC, along with other industry groups, is working to ensure that business stakeholders have a voice in the ongoing development of federal regulations and guidelines.

Recently, the NPPC-led coalition submitted comments to the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) regarding its “Federal Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan.”

The coalition also gave feedback on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft guidance for “Achieving Health and Environmental Protection Through EPA's Meaningful Involvement Policy.”

The NPPC’s stance emphasizes the importance of considering the perspectives of all stakeholders, including the pork industry. The coalition’s recommendations to the OSTP include improving the integration of industry contributions, fostering transparent information sharing, ensuring data quality, and protecting confidential business information.

For the EPA’s draft guidance, the recommendations focus on engaging trade associations in the process, allowing ample time for public comment on new regulations, clarifying data quality differences, and refining information sharing methods.

These efforts by the NPPC and its coalition partners underscore the complexity of integrating environmental justice into government operations. It highlights the need for a balanced approach that considers the potential economic impacts and fosters both environmental and industrial innovation.

The NPPC’s active participation in these discussions reflects its commitment to responsible and sustainable industry practices.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.