Over the last few decades, innovations across the U.S. beef supply chain have enabled producers to generate more output with fewer inputs while reducing impacts to air, land and water. According to a 2022 study, water use in U.S. beef production has declined 29% since 1991.
Despite this progress, international and corporate sustainability commitments focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions continue to place beef under scrutiny. U.S. cattle producers hold significant potential to influence beef’s global sustainability performance, as the United States produces 17.7% of the world's beef and accounts for 5.6% of the global cattle herd.
The industry has embraced this responsibility through the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB), a multi-stakeholder initiative committed to industry-wide sustainability goals and sector-specific targets. While reducing methane emissions remains a top priority, improving water resource management represents another critical component of beef sustainability. USRSB's goal to enhance water resource management strategies and quality by 2050 is driving innovations across the production chain.
Reducing water use in feed production
Irrigation for feedstuffs — whether for grazing fields or corn crops — represents one of the most water-intensive aspects of cattle production. With the Great Plains experiencing increased frequency of intense rainfall events intermingled with severe drought periods, the USRSB is calling for crops and forages that can withstand drought conditions while recovering rapidly.
Technologies like Forever Feed Technologies’ (FFT) Automated Sprouted Grain system address this challenge directly. The system uses a fraction of the water required for field-grown alfalfa while supporting beef and dairy producers' water conservation and climate goals.
FFT recently launched an Innovation Center in Hanford, California, housing the world's largest automated sprouted grain feed mill. The facility produces fresh sprouted grain daily to supplement rations for dairy and beef herds, offering a year-round alternative that reduces vulnerability to drought and extreme weather.
The first phase of a larger commercial-scale model, the Innovation Center produces up to 50 tons of sprouted grain per day — enough to supplement feed for more than 2,500 dairy cows. The project aligns with the dairy industry's 2030 Net-Zero targets by reducing water use and improving resource efficiency.
FFT began designing the system in 2022, partnering with JR Automation, a Hitachi company, to integrate advanced material handling systems with FFT's patent-pending indoor growing protocols. This combination ensures consistent delivery of fresh feed at the scale required for large operations.
“Completing the Innovation Center is a milestone that will enable us to refine the systems and protocols needed to build our larger commercial-scale feed mills,” said Jack de Jong, CEO of FFT and owner of River Ranch Farms.
By bringing fresh feed production indoors, the FFT system provides producers with a dependable method to improve livestock health, boost productivity and reduce the environmental footprint of beef production. The Hanford Innovation Center will also generate valuable data to help farmers evaluate both the economics and sustainability impact of integrating sprouted grain into beef and dairy diets.
Feedyard lagoon water reuse
USRSB has identified wastewater reuse from storage lagoons as a primary opportunity for improved water resource utilization in feedyards. Lagoons are lined earthen basins used to treat raw organic waste and store treated solids and liquids.
The USRSB publication Innovation in the U.S. Beef Value Chain: A Sustainable Beef Research Roadmap notes that additional research is needed to understand water quality in existing drinking water sources and the feasibility of converting wastewater into drinking water for cattle. This research is essential because providing herds with access to high-quality drinking water at every production stage is critical for optimal health and performance.
However, no universal regulatory standard exists for cattle drinking water. Additional research is needed to establish refined drinking water standards that would allow researchers to determine the effectiveness of wastewater reuse based on water quality and cattle health impacts, enabling them to make evidence-based recommendations to producers and feedyard operators.
Currently, the industry relies on guidelines from agricultural research organizations like the National Research Council and university extension services for recommendations on acceptable water quality parameters for beef cattle. Other critical research needs include identifying and testing water treatment technologies to improve the cost-effectiveness and scalability of reuse systems.
Critical gaps in understanding include:
- Baseline water quality in lagoons and other water sources
- Appropriate drinking water standards for cattle
- Cost-effective treatment technologies that can scale practically
To address these challenges, USRSB’s research roadmap establishes benchmarking of water use and quality beginning in 2025, with targets for feedyards to assess water availability and implement conservation practices by 2030.
USRSB recommends that livestock operations leverage satellite imagery and remote sensing to improve tracking of water use and efficiency, reducing reliance on manual monitoring while enabling large-scale assessments. Virtual fencing represents another emerging tool that allows producers to manage grazing without physical barriers, offering potential benefits for water quality and riparian area protection.
Key research priorities include improving the reliability and affordability of remote sensing by integrating it with ground-based technology, and evaluating virtual fencing's effectiveness at scale, along with advances to support adoption, usability and economic viability for producers.
USRSB emphasizes the need for economical reuse technologies that can treat lagoon water to levels suitable for cattle consumption. A key research question compares the costs and benefits of treating and reusing lagoon water versus conventional application of lagoon effluent for crop irrigation.
The roadmap also identifies significant research needs around understanding how drinking water quality impacts cattle performance and the consequences of lacking standardized water quality data. This uncertainty makes it difficult for feedyard operators to make informed decisions about water treatment and reuse investments.
While feedyards recognize water management as critical, the industry needs more research-backed guidance on practical, cost-effective approaches to optimize water reuse and protect water resources. USRSB's research roadmap emphasizes that water management decisions must be economically viable, with key questions focusing on determining the most economical reuse technologies and understanding how treatment and reuse costs compare to traditional lagoon effluent applications.
Water conservation in practice
While water resource management research is ongoing, that doesn’t mean beef producers are waiting to act on sustainability initiatives. At the 2025 Environmental Stewardship Award Program, M&D Overstreet Ranch of Kathleen, Florida, received recognition for exceptional conservation efforts in a rapidly growing region.
Since 1970, Mark Overstreet has led initiatives in rotational grazing, soil restoration, water conservation and wildlife protection, employing tools such as controlled burns, aquifer-recharging lakes and habitat corridors.
Located within the Everglades Headwaters region, the 2,788-acre ranch safeguards water resources feeding Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades while preserving Florida's ranching traditions and natural ecosystems for future generations.
From high-tech feed mills in California to conservation ranching in Florida, the beef industry’s diverse water stewardship efforts show that the path to sustainability is not one-size-fits-all — but together, these innovations bring the sector closer to a future where productivity and preservation go hand in hand.
