The thorny and politically charged issue of the sustainability of the food system is once again front and center in the debate over the government’s dietary guidelines.
The Agriculture Department and Department of Health and Human Services, which share oversight and development responsibilities for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, say they will address sustainability and environmental concerns, but in a process separate from development of the next set of guidelines, due in 2025.
HHS and USDA are still considering comments on the proposed questions as well as nominations for experts to serve on the advisory committee that will make recommendations for the 2025-2030 guidelines.
Just the fact that sustainability will be considered at all has some in the ag and food industry concerned. In a recent address at the American Sugar Alliance’s International Sweetener Symposium, The Sugar Association President and CEO Courtney Gaine said there’s “a lot of momentum that the U.S. dietary guidelines aren’t doing enough for the population’s health and for the planet. So, this dialogue is getting louder.”
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March 22, 2026
"The Feeding the Economy report affirms the vital role food and agriculture play in our nation’s economic resilience and food security. Commercial bakers have long been proud partners to American agriculture, sourcing 85 percent of their core ingredients from domestic farmers....Sponsoring organizations from the food and agriculture industries, who helped make the 2026 study possible, provided commentary on this year’s findings. The full list of sponsoring organizations includes: ...The Sugar Association"
March 10, 2026
"Courtney Gaine, president and CEO of the Sugar Association, a scientific body that supports the U.S. sugar industry, told the USDA Outlook Forum that the school meal standards taking effect next year might prohibit added sugars in kindergarten meals and could significantly restrict them in other grades. That change alone would cut sugar demand by over 130,000 short tons. The industry faces additional pressure from rising GLP-1 weight-loss drug usage, which jumped from 12% in May 2024 to 18% in November 2025, though Gaine cautioned it remains "premature to assess the impact."
March 3, 2026
"Gaine added, "There is no data to support all this." She said the focus on added sugar is often politically motivated, but food groups have not pushed back on the MAHA pressure. There is a lot of fear of retaliation, and for good reason they have not wanted to push back publicly," Gaine said. "I think it’s going to demand a coordinated, really coordinated, pushing back. Any effort up (until) now has been to go along to get along, and I don’t know if that’s going to work."
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