Samantha Werth, executive director of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, shares the mission behind the organization and how it helps ranchers across the nation, despite the diverse landscapes and ranching operations.
Drovers: What is USRSB?
Werth: The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is a multi-stakeholder initiative built to advance, support and communicate continuous improvement in sustainability across the U.S. beef value chain.
At the end of the day, our vision is simple: for the U.S. beef value chain to be the trusted global leader in environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable beef. Everything we do is geared toward supporting that through collaboration across the supply chain and a focus on practical, science-based approaches.
How does USRSB support ranchers?
Producers are the foundation of USRSB — and the entire beef supply chain. We work alongside the producer community to understand their needs and build resources that reflect those. A good example is our grazing management planning materials, which include customizable templates and learning modules designed by subject matter experts, including producers.
Connection and collaboration are central to our work, and I think this is one area where we offer a unique opportunity. One of the biggest benefits of having producers involved in USRSB is the opportunity to engage directly with others across the supply chain: retailers, processors, foodservice partners, allied industry and others. This environment promotes open dialogue and creates a shared understanding of both the challenges and opportunities facing the industry as a whole.
Building off this, we’ve also launched a producer outreach task force focused on meeting ranchers where they are. This will include participating in producer meetings and sharing practical tools around resilient ranching — things like grazing management, economic viability tools and succession planning.
How can ranchers get involved?
We welcome producers to engage at the level that works for them. Our General Assembly Meeting is coming up in April in Florida, and this is a great place to start. We’re also active at key industry events like NCBA throughout the year. If you see us at an industry event, we’d love to talk with you.
For those who want a more hands-on role, becoming a member of USRSB opens the door to participation in our working groups and task forces. That alone gives producers a direct voice in developing tools, research and other resources. This engagement is important to us so that we can support efforts that are practical, science-based and effective.
The strength of our organization, and the industry as a whole, depends on having a strong producer voice. When we hear directly from a wide range of ranchers about their day-to-day challenges, we can invest our time and resources into the areas that truly set them up for success. A broad base of producer input ensures the work we do is relevant, realistic and impactful.
Learn more about USRSB at usrsb.org.
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