The U.S. beef industry announced initiation of a checkoff-funded sustainability assessment. The multi-year research project will quantify inputs and outputs and identify opportunities for continuous improvement in beef cattle raising practices. The Beef Checkoff Program will partner with BASF Corp. to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the U.S. beef industry and identify the most important areas of focus for future innovation.

“We’ve all heard the terms ‘lifecycle assessment (LCA)’ and ‘carbon footprint,’ but what makes this project and our partnership with BASF unique is our holistic focus on sustainability, including not only the environmental aspects of beef production, but also the social and economic aspects of what we do,” says Bo Reagan, senior vice president of research, education and innovation for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the checkoff contractor managing the assessment. “This project has been thoughtfully designed to recognize the diversity of the U.S. beef industry while also being scientifically rigorous and credible, and perhaps most important, ends with tools cattlemen can use to improve.”