USDA Limits Environmental Initiatives in Agricultural Checkoff Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared that research and promotion programs funded by the industry cannot support projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions or enhancing environmental sustainability.
This decision follows a lawsuit filed in June by three dairy farmers from Wisconsin, who challenged the federal dairy checkoff program. The lawsuit was led by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), a conservative legal group. More details on the lawsuit can be found here.
The dairy checkoff program mandates that American farmers pay a fee on the milk they produce to support marketing and research efforts, including well-known campaigns such as “Got Milk?”. More information about the program is available here.
Other agricultural sectors, such as beef, pork, eggs, and potatoes, have similar checkoff programs overseen by the USDA. Details on these programs can be found here.
In a communication to the National Dairy Research and Promotion Board, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins explained that the Trump administration is working to align the checkoff programs with its policy positions. “Effective immediately, all projects funded by the dairy checkoff program must focus on long-term value creation for future generations and not activities advancing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks, net-zero or climate neutrality initiatives,” Rollins stated. Read the full letter here.
This directive was also communicated in a memorandum to all federal checkoff programs, which can be accessed here.
The USDA’s announcement coincided with the deadline for responding to the WILL lawsuit. The lawsuit claimed that the checkoff program was compelling producers to fund sustainability initiatives that they did not support, thereby increasing the regulatory burden on their farms. Rebecca Furdek, deputy counsel for WILL, noted that Congress had tasked the USDA with establishing the checkoff to promote milk sales and consumption, suggesting the USDA is reverting to this original intent.
Following the USDA’s announcement, WILL agreed to pause the lawsuit while the USDA implements the new spending restrictions.
Dairy Management Inc., the nonprofit organization managing the dairy checkoff program, expressed its support for the USDA’s directive. The organization stated it would work with the USDA to review and adjust projects as necessary while maintaining its commitment to authorized activities.
George Crave, a Wisconsin representative on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, opted not to comment on the USDA’s decision. However, he emphasized the importance of the checkoff program in educating the public about the nutritional benefits of dairy products and the care farmers provide to their animals and crops.
“Making sure the public understands what we’re doing, and we feel that that’s part of our promotion,” Crave commented.
