Conservative groups urge USDA to quit dairy net-zero program over cost and control concerns
Conservative organizations have asked Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to pull the USDA out of the Pathways to Dairy Net Zero initiative, warning it could raise costs and push small farms out of business.
A letter sent Thursday to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins by the conservative groups Consumers Defense and Heartland Impact called for the USDA to reveal the extent of its participation in the Pathways to Dairy Net Zero (P2DNZ) initiative and to exit the program without delay. The petition, accompanied by a 39-page report titled “The War on Dairy,” claims the Biden-era scheme, promoted by former Secretary Tom Vilsack in 2021, could impose hidden costs on dairy farms through mandatory reporting, audits and ESG-linked financing, effectively functioning as private regulation.
Critics say these burdens will hit small and mid-size farms hardest, potentially forcing them to sell or leave the sector, which would tighten margins, raise milk prices and increase consolidation. The report also links the initiative to broader ESG frameworks such as GFANZ and warns of foreign influence on U.S. food policy. Rollins has previously criticized climate policies that could harm dairy producers and has halted other climate-related USDA programs.
Why it matters
The outcome could determine how climate goals affect U.S. dairy farms, food prices and industry structure.
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