U.S. WHEATA GLOBAL LEADER IN SUSTAINABILITYIn Brief
U.S. wheat farmers work every day to contribute to a sustainable future in agriculture. Sustainability
is reflected in agronomic practices, research and development, and transportation methods, all of which
contribute to making the United States a sustainable source of wheat for export and domestic use.
Sustainability is also about innovation—reducing inputs while producing better wheat varieties to increase
yields and provide consistently high-quality wheat to customers around the world.

Environmental Stewardship: A commitment to continuous improvement• 1On average, U.S. farmers produce approximately 1.645 billion bushels (45 million tonnes) of wheat on morethan 18 million hectares (45 million acres) of land.
• 2U.S. wheat is a very water efficient crop. In fact, only 7% of U.S. wheat area is irrigated.
• 3Since 1980/81, U.S. wheat farmers have increased total wheat yields by more than 50%.
That means they are producing more wheat on less land. These yield gains have been achieved
through improved agronomic practices, including:◦ Direct seeding, no-till methods that improve soil carbon sequestration;◦ Integrated pest management;◦ Precision nitrogen application;◦ Crop rotations to break disease cycles and reduce the use of pesticides and fungicides
while improving overall soil fertility.
• As farmers are producing more wheat on less land, they arealso conserving resources. According to Field to Market’s soil
conservation metric, soil conservation in wheat production has
improved over 30% from 1980 to 2015, through the adoptionof conservation tillage practices.
• State wheat commissions, nonprofit organizations funded bywheat producers, annually invest more than €10 million ($12million) in wheat research focused on key factors in improving
sustainability, including increasing yields, pest resistance anddisease resistance, while decreasing inputs. They often haverobust partnerships with public university research programs.
• Publicly-funded wheat research places a priority on maintaining
the highest milling and baking quality, ensuring that agronomic
progress does not sacrifice important end-use qualities.

For more information please see:thesustainabilityalliance.us or contact
info@thesustainabilityalliance.us

Social Responsibility: A commitment to future generations• U.S. wheat farmers pride themselves on theirability to feed a growing population, and thelegacy they pass on to future generations all
depends on how they take care of the land
and use natural resources.
• 4Today, U.S. farmers harvest more than
14 million hectares (35 million acres) of wheat,providing food for millions of people athome and abroad and supporting jobs in ruralcommunities such as in mills, bakeries, grocery
stores and restaurants.
• 5Wheat is a dietary staple. It is the sourceof 20% of the world’s caloric intake and 20%of protein for the world’s poorest people.
• Increased production and trade are critical to feeding the world’s growing population because
demand is rising fastest in equatorial regions that are unable to produce enough wheat to feed
the people.
• 6More than 21 million American jobs have their roots in the U.S. food and fiber industry –more than five times as many workers as the U.S. automotive manufacturing, sales and service
sectors combined.

Social Responsibility: A commitment to future generations• Sustainability is about smart business — using more efficient production methods to reduce inputs
while increasing yields and food quality.
• An independent study conducted in 2017 showed that every $1 invested by U.S. wheat farmers andthe U.S. government in wheat export programs returns $127 in export revenue to the U.S. economy.
• 7In 2020, U.S. wheat exports were almost €5.4 billion ($6.3 billion).
Agricultural production is the backbone of rural economies. Wheat farmers support their local
economies by buying inputs from local suppliers, selling their products to local elevators (silos),paying property taxes and frequenting local businesses.
• 8A large portion of U.S. wheat is transported for export via barge on the country’s extensive river
system. According to a 2017 study, barges can move a ton of cargo 1041 kilometers with 4.5 litersof fuel (647 miles per gallon, an increase from an earlier estimate of 616 miles).
• U.S. wheat is also moved via rail to export terminals. Rail can move a ton of cargo 767 kilometers
per 4.5 liters of fuel (477 miles per gallon), and rail technology is improving everyday.9
SourcesERS Wheat Data (as of 13/10/21) https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/wheat-data.aspx
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/irrigation-water-use/
3
USDA FAS PSD (https://apps.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/app/index.html#/app/home)
4
ERS Wheat Data (as of 17/06/21) https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/wheat-data.aspx
5
FAO and BioNumbers: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home andhttps://bionumbers.hms.harvard.edu/bionumber.aspx?id=110562&ver=4
6
NAWG: https://www.wheatworld.org/policy-action/issues/budget/
7
USDA GATS (data accessed 17/06/2021) value for 2020 wheat exports was $6.297 billion
8Article cites U.S. National Waterways Foundation report from 2017 https://www.maritime-executive.com/article
barge-transport-wins- on-fuel-efficiency
9Source – as above
12For more information please see:thesustainabilityalliance.us or contact
info@thesustainabilityalliance.us