How big is the US meat industry?

The US meat industry was valued at $90bn (€82bn) last year. US meat companies processed 12m tonnes of beef last year, 11.6m tonnes of pork, 19m tonnes of chicken and 68,000t of lamb. An estimated 275,000 people are employed by the US pork and beef industry.

What are the big beef-producing states in the US?

Most of the major beef feedlot states in the US are located in the high plains including Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma. We even have quite a few cattle feedlots in Iowa now. In terms of cow/calf producers (suckler farmers) we have farmers all over the country. Some raise hundreds or thousands of cows while others have herds as small as 40 cows. The US beef processing industry is mostly located in states like Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas. We’ve also got some processors in California and Arizona to cater for cull cows from the dairy industries out there.

What does the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) do?

NAMI is a trade association that represents meat packers and processors here in the US. The meat sector is a very highly regulated industry, with inspectors in plants at all time. I’m a vet and I work with our members to make sure that they are in compliance with regulations at all times.

What is the perception of meat among US consumers today?

I don’t think we’re seeing a big shift in consumer attitudes towards meat. There’s always been a small percentage of people against the meat industry. Of course we’re seeing that small percentage become a lot more vocal recently. However, there certainly are more people asking questions about red meat and its effect on health, the environment and animal welfare.

Are US consumers eating less meat?

We’ve seen a bit of a rise in the flexitarian diet in the US over recent years. People are eating less meat because more of their meals do not contain meat. There’s a perception, often misguided, that eating a product that does not contain meat is somehow healthier. There’s been a trade-off by some consumers for more plant-based meals but it’s not huge in the overall scheme of things. It varies geographically. If you’re on the coast you see more of the flexitarian diet but in my hometown of Kansas it’s not really a big issue.

How are current trade tensions with China impacting US meat?

Our beef industry recently regained access to China for the first time in 13 years. However, some of the standards for selling beef to China such as hormone-free and full traceability systems are a little hard for US producers to meet. The trade tensions have had a significantly negative impact on the US pork industry. The tariffs applied by China have led to a significant decline in US pork exports to China.

Tiffany Lee, director of regulatory and scientific affairs at the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), will speak at the 2019 ASA Conference on the 13th September in the Lyrath Estate Hotel, Co Kilkenny.