Sustainable sheep ranching through regenerative grazing in the western United States: the case of Shaniko wool company on carbon neutrality

Abstract

Ranching has historically been one of the most economically and socially rewarding activities for many families in the Western United States. However, climatic and socioeconomic changes have brought public scrutiny to the environmental impact of ranching. Our Imperial Stock Ranch, with a 153-year legacy, has proactively addressed these challenges by adopting advanced sustainable practices to "make the land win" while producing commodities from dryland cropland and livestock grazing for local markets. In 2016, we achieved certification to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), becoming the first ranch globally to meet this leading standard for sheep and wool production. This milestone enabled us to partner with renowned fashion brands, providing sustainable wool that was even used in Team USA Olympic uniforms (2014, 2018, 2022 and 2024). In 2018, we founded Shaniko Wool Company (SWC) as a Farm Group to expand the supply of wool in the US that meets RWS global standards. SWC now includes ten ranches, collectively grazing over 1 million hectares across the country. To quantify the impact of our sustainable wool production, we collaborated with Oregon State University in 2019. By 2020, a program was developed to measure organic soil carbon and model greenhouse gas emissions for the entire farm group using the COMET Farm Model. This model indicates that the farm group can offset all emissions from our operations. For instance, the Imperial Stock Ranch alone has the potential to offset 2,809 tons of CO2 annually, while the entire farm group can offset an estimated 91,444 tons annually. The future direction for our farm group involves certifying the entire group to sell carbon credits, creating a new income source alongside our existing production of food and fiber, sustaining humankind. Our commitment to sustainability not only benefits the environment but also strengthens the economic resilience of our ranching communities.