Sustainable U.S. Peanuts Kicks Off 2025 Crop Enrollment

Source: American Peanut Council

Building on record-breaking grower participation last crop year, the American Peanut Council’s Sustainable U.S. Peanuts (SUSP) announced the start of 2025 crop enrollment on November 24. Now in its fifth year, SUSP has grown from a bold idea into a robust, grower-driven sustainability platform that continues to elevate the entire peanut industry.

During the 2024 crop year, SUSP achieved its highest levels of grower participation to date with 326 peanut growers enrolled, representing 166,338 acres across 12 states. That accounts for 9.2% of total U.S. peanut acreage, marking the strongest engagement since the program’s inception.

“The momentum behind Sustainable U.S. Peanuts shows just how committed our growers are to continuous improvement,” said Dan Ward, APC Sustainability Committee chair and seventh-generation North Carolina peanut farmer. “We’ve come a long way in a short time, and that progress is being driven by farmers who see sustainability not as a buzzword, but as a business mindset that keeps our operations resilient for generations to come.”

Sustainable U.S. Peanuts is an industry-wide initiative supporting America’s peanut growers in implementing and documenting sustainable farming practices. The program is designed to meet rising marketplace expectations, increase demand for U.S.-grown peanuts, and ensure the long-term economic viability of peanut farming. SUSP provides growers with tools and insights to measure and improve the efficiency of their operations, from soil health to input use.

“Today’s food companies and consumers want confidence that the ingredients they choose are grown responsibly, and the U.S. peanut industry is delivering on that promise,” said Allie Randell, APC director of sustainability. “SUSP helps us tell that story with real data and authentic grower voices leading the way.”

As the program enters its second phase, we have set an ambitious goal: an average of 10% of total U.S. peanut acreage enrolled during the next two consecutive years. Reaching that milestone will allow SUSP to credibly represent the broader peanut industry to buyers and consumers increasingly seeking verifiable sustainability commitments.

“Our next chapter is about scale and impact,” Ward added. “When more growers participate, our collective story gets stronger—and that helps ensure U.S. peanuts remain the preferred choice around the world.”

Through robust data collection and benchmarking, SUSP provides participants with key insights into resource use efficiency—from water and fertilizer to energy and land management. By adopting sustainable practices and sharing performance metrics, growers are positioning the U.S. peanut industry to meet the evolving demands of global food manufacturers, retailers and consumers.

SUSP 2025 crop enrollment runs November 2025 through April 2026.  To learn more about Sustainable U.S. Peanuts and enroll, use the following link:

 

SustainableUSPeanuts.org