USDA says it will remove ESG initiatives from dairy checkoff, defends action as protecting small farmers

A reporter asked whether removing environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives from the dairy checkoff contradicts farmers' prior votes to invest in sustainability. The USDA speaker replied that the department will no longer allow what it described as "leftist" ESG directives to dictate how mandatory checkoff funds are used and framed the move as defending smaller and mid-size dairy farmers from regulatory and compliance burdens.

"A couple of days ago we announced at USDA that no longer would this US Department of Agriculture under Donald Trump bow to the radical left's climate agenda," the speaker said, defending the policy change as protecting farmers who lack the legal and accounting resources of larger operations. The secretary said the administration would follow up with reporters to clarify which FARM program elements are mandatory and which are not. "We'll get with you on that. That's a very detailed specific list," the speaker said.

The exchange reflected political and regulatory tensions over checkoff program governance and the balance between collective promotion dollars and policy priorities; the administration committed to providing a detailed list of mandatory versus voluntary elements after the event.