U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef concludes 2023 General Assembly Meeting

New officers join the USRSB Board of Directors.

The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB), a beef sustainability initiative, concluded its 2023 General Assembly Meeting in Boise, Idaho. The USRSB reported progress on a variety of its sustainability efforts programs, which were published in the 2022 USRSB Annual Report.

“With nearly 200 attendees, this year’s General Assembly Meeting was a great success,” said Debbie Lyons-Blythe, 2022/2023 USRSB chair. “The USRSB has been hard at work to achieve its ambitious goals and our ongoing progress was clearly highlighted throughout the event’s excellent agenda.”

Before the event, industry members had the opportunity to attend a sustainability tour with stops at Simplot Grand View Feedyard, CS Beef Plant and Simplot French Fry Plant, followed by a reception at The Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey. Highlights from the tour included the use of potato byproducts from french fry production as cattle feed and the essential role of advanced animal welfare and employee safety practices throughout the supply chain.

The main event was packed with industry and academic experts who provided their perspectives on opportunities for continuous improvement in environmental, social and economic sustainability. Key topics included global beef industry collaboration, the societal role of meat, the impacts of grazing management, the role of data in the supply chain and climate-smart beef. In addition, Jack Bobo, director of global food and water policy at The Nature Conservancy and food futurist, delivered a closing keynote titled “Navigating the Future of Food,” discussing upcoming trends and opportunities in the future of agriculture and the beef industries.

“I look forward to serving the USRSB as chair for the upcoming year,” said Chad Ellis, 2023/2024 USRSB chair. “The USRSB provides a unique venue for ongoing collaboration across sectors, and we will continue to spotlight the important role beef plays in a sustainable food system.”

Other key milestones included the election of new board of directors members. Leadership is comprised of representatives from every sector of the supply chain, ensuring equal representation from pasture to plate.

Newly elected officers include:

Chair: Chad Ellis, Partnership of Rangeland Trusts
Chair-elect: Mike Williams, California Cattlemen’s Association
Secretary/treasurer: Scott Anderson, PhD, CRI Feeders
Immediate past-chair: Debbie Lyons-Blythe, Kansas Livestock Association

Election results for the board of directors include:

Allied industry (term: April 2023 – April 2025) 
- Primary: Tim Hardman, Fulton Market Group
- Appointed: Lance Zimmerman, Rabobank
Producer (term: April 2023 – April 2025) 
- Primary: Clayton Huseman, Kansas Livestock Association
- Appointed: To be selected
Packer/processor (term: April 2023 – April 2025) 
- Primary: Brooke Davis, Lopez Foods
- Appointed: Robert Cannell, PhD, National Beef
Retail/food service (term: April 2023 – April 2025)
- Primary: Bruce Daley, Sysco
- Appointed: To be selected
Civil society (term: April 2023 – April 2025)
- Primary: Hugh Aljoe, Noble Research Institute
- Appointed: Chad Ellis, Partnership of Rangeland Trust

Standing board of directors includes:

Allied industry (term: April 2022 – April 2024) 
- Primary: Bill Thoni, Food Safety Net Services
- Appointed: Michael McCarty, Elanco Animal Health
Producer (term: April 2022 – April 2024)
- Primary: Mike Williams, California Cattlemen’s Association
- Appointed: Gene Lollis, Florida Cattlemen’s Association
Packer/processor (term: April 2022 – April 2024) 
- Primary: Wayne Morgan, PhD, Golden State Foods
- Appointed: Paula Alexander, Tyson Foods
Retail/food service (term: April 2022 – April 2024)
- Primary: Kendra Levine, McDonald’s Corp.
- Appointed: Belinda Richardson, McDonald’s Corp.
Civil society (term: April 2022 – April 2024)
- Primary: Nancy Labbe, The Nature Conservancy
- Appointed: Rob Manes, The Nature Conservancy