Inside The U.S. Effort To Boost The Natural Grass Industry

by Noël Fletcher
Dec 22, 2024

​The U.S. Department of Agriculture is deciding whether to create a national program to strengthen demand for the $2.2 billion natural grass industry since American sod is facing an eroding market from plastic turf and consumer misconceptions.

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The Fake Grass Threat
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Although natural grass is being replaced in homes and public areas by mulch, brick, concrete pavers and some rubberized playgrounds, its main economic threat is from fake grass.

“Plastic, artificial turf is the primary competitor and most common alternative to natural grass for athletic fields on school grounds, public parks, and collegiate or professional sports venues,” the government says. It cited a 2020 Synthetic Turf Council Market Report for North America listing a 15% growth rate since 2017 in the current $2.7 billion artificial turf industry, with increasing demand coming from athletic field and landscaping applications.

Numerous grass growers and organizations that rely on natural sod backed the federal government’s overture (through the USDA’s proposed rule in 2023) to step in and help create the industry-funded promotion, research, and information program for natural grass sod products. A request for public comments resulted in 173 comments submitted prior to a December 2023 deadline.

Read the article in Forbes.