USB sets sights on livestock export growth

Jul 17, 2024

Strengthening global market share for U.S. livestock products

By Farms.com

The United Soybean Board (USB), during its latest meeting in Baltimore, announced a renewed focus on expanding export markets as a key strategy for supporting the U.S. livestock industry.

Jim Douglas, a prominent member of both the USB and the U.S. Meat Export Federation, spoke on the necessity of export market development to ensure the profitability of U.S. livestock producers.

Douglas pointed out that a significant portion of U.S. soybeans feeds the livestock industry, which is now facing increased global competition, particularly from Brazil.

However, he noted that the U.S. could capitalize on market openings as the European Union curtails its exports. This shift presents a unique opportunity for U.S. producers to increase their global market share.

Emphasizing sustainability, Douglas remarked on the global respect for U.S. products, which are often marketed with a sustainability label, enhancing their appeal in international markets. This approach not only supports U.S. farmers but also positions the U.S. as a leader in sustainable livestock production.

The USB's commitment to leveraging export opportunities through strategic partnerships and promoting the sustainability of U.S. meat products is seen as vital to overcoming challenges and seizing new market opportunities.

This strategy aims to bolster the economic health of the U.S. agriculture sector and sustain its global competitiveness.

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.