The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ended environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives in a dairy program that is funded by dairy farmers.
The update applies to the National Dairy Promotion and Research Program, also known as the Dairy Checkoff Program.
The program funds research, promotion, and nutrition activities aimed at strengthening markets for American dairy.
However, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, set up through the program, has pursued “extensive ESG initiatives, including greenhouse-gas and net-zero targets,” the USDA said in a Sept. 17 statement.
“USDA’s action ends checkoff support for those ESG-related projects while allowing necessary administrative functions that do not advance such agendas,” the department said….