The World Meat Congress met in Dallas, TX, with a number of topics packed into two full days of meetings May 31 and June 1. Meeting for the 22nd time, the event was hosted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and the International Meat Secretariat (IMS).
Philip Seng, USMEF CEO emeritus told WLJ the IMS was formed 24 years ago with the purpose of trying to overcome protectionism and is a proponent of free trade. “So our theme for the whole Congress, which was an underlying and overlying theme, was trusting in trade.”
He also said a goal was to extol the U.S. model for agriculture. Those messages were expressed at various sessions to more than 750 attendees from 48 countries. And beyond the Congress, Seng said many attendees participated in post-convention tours to ranches and feedlots in Texas. Still others traveled from Dallas to Des Moines, IA, to attend the World Pork Expo June 6-8. Seng said organizers “hoped to show what we stand for in U.S. agriculture.”
He noted that U.S. trade issues have been under a lot of scrutiny lately. “I think in this Congress we really wanted to illustrate how beneficial trade is to U.S. agriculture and how beneficial trade is for the world in creating a more perfect world.”
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue delivered the keynote address on the opening day and reminded attendees of the millions of people who benefit from agricultural innovation and advancement. He also talked about competition, saying, “Canada, the U.S., Mexico and other nations will compete, as we should, but hopefully we can do that in a wholesome and healthy fashion. Competition is good because it drives all of us to be better, and we want to be better for mankind.”
As the Meat Congress was underway, President Donald Trump announced that beginning June 1, steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union will be subject to higher tariffs. Both Mexico and Canada announced their intention to impose countermeasures.
Meeting with reporters after the opening general session, Perdue and Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay were met with questions about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Perdue told reporters, “I just visited with Minister MacAulay and we both acknowledged that we have too much in common to allow trade disruptions to divide us. I’m hopeful that we can get back to the business of talking about how we can resolve this issue and do right and feed everyone. NAFTA has been generally good for agriculture in most aspects. But we need to make sure that we have equivalency in food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, and then let our producers compete.”
As noted by Seng, overcoming protectionism was on the minds of presenters and attendees. Argentine Minister of Agro-Industry, Luis Miguel Etchevehere noted that his nation knows all too well the negative impact protectionism imposes on agricultural producers, and reversing this damage is a priority for President Mauricio Macri, who was elected in 2015 on a pro-trade agenda.
Discussions were held throughout the two days with recognized industry experts serving as panelists and moderators.
Asked if there were any outcomes or action points to be accomplished before the next Congress or in general, Seng said the No. 1 question seemed to be how to feed the growing world. With the world population expected to grow to 9 billion people by 2050, he said the amount of food produced is going to need to double.
Additionally, he said agricultural leaders need to consider if the current model will be able to sustain that kind of growth, especially red meat production. “I think part of the things that came out from that was innovation is going to be very critical. Secretary Perdue talked about innovation as a key component and I do think people are going to have to become more accepting of science and technology.” He added, “We had a session on science and technology and I think that came across very strong.”
Experts from China, Mexico and Russia each offered insights into the factors that are expected to fuel the world’s red meat industry in the near future. China’s quick rise as a dominant import market and the fierce competition to meet its growing demand drew strong interest from World Meat Congress attendees.
Amy Xu, general manager of the import division for China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation, noted that China’s domestic pork production is rebounding. On the beef side, she said the country’s growing demand for beef is expected to continue, but Chinese consumers remain price-driven. “Opportunities do exist for high-end beef cuts, because a segment of the population is able and willing to pay the price,” Xu said. “U.S. beef is on the high end of the price scale, but there is great interest in U.S. beef.”
Friday’s keynote speaker was best-selling author Jeff Fromm, whose books include “Marketing to millennials,” “Millennials with kids,” and “Marketing to Gen Z.” Fromm is also a partner at Barkley, a company that assists with establishment and enhancement of brands and helps businesses identify emerging consumer trends.
American beef producers more and more are recognizing the importance of telling their story and helping to put a face on their product in an effort to connect with consumers. Fromm said farmers and ranchers, and those in meat processing and merchandising “absolutely must better connect with consumers by sharing details of the story behind their products.”
In that effort, more producers are working toward transparency, but Fromm said that is not enough. “Today’s consumer is a ‘pro-sumer,’ which means they are going to co-create their story and it’s about ‘Brand Me,’” Fromm explained. “And the reality is, that consumer has a lot of expectations. They expect to have a seat at the table. And if you’ve heard in the past that it’s just about being transparent, our research suggests that’s going to get you a ‘C’ on your report card. In ‘Tomorrowland,’ you’re going to have to offer proof that the story you are living is real—which is a step beyond transparency.”
Additional topics of discussion included research and technologies into how meat and other goods are being produced, managed and delivered.
IMS Secretary General Hsin Huang assembled a panel of industry experts to illustrate the critical issues on which IMS advocates for the global meat industry. IMS engages with international and intergovernmental organizations to promote a fact-based and science-based approach to public policy and establishment of international standards.
This panel featured Dr. Bernard Vallat, president of the French Federation of Charcutiers, Caterers and Meat Processors, who discussed key issues related to animal welfare, antibiotic use in animals and antibiotic resistance. Jurgen Preugschas, director of the Western Hog Exchange, focused on sustainable livestock production practices, and Shalene McNeill, Ph.D., R.D., executive director for human nutrition research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, offered her thoughts on dietary guidelines and the importance of educating key audiences about the nutritional value of red meat and its role in a balanced diet.
Seng told WLJ, “I think the meat industry feels a responsibility when it comes to this growing world and we know protein is so very important.” He again came back to the issue of overcoming protectionism and referenced comments made by the trade ministers at the meeting. “I think I can make a general comment that protectionism is the enemy of agriculture and through the various presentations that they gave, their speeches, I think they really underscored the fact that this rising protectionism in the world, the rise of tariffs, the rise of quotas, or tariffs and quotas, retaliation—all of this is not good for agriculture. I think there was a resounding feeling among all the participants that agricultural protectionism is not good for anybody.”
Asked if there was any movement or commitment to overcome those protectionism blocks, Seng said, “I think that is up to each sovereign country to address. I think the meat industry is saying that we do best when we have open borders; we do best when we have trade that we can advance and as long as we have standards that are harmonized and an understanding of comparative advantage.”
Wrapping up, Seng said it will remain important to continue to have open trade and to share information. He reiterated that the IMS is a platform to share information, and the various countries and industries will need to continue sharing information regarding work on topics like sustainability, animal care, nutrition and more.
“I think the IMS is continuing to do what it is doing but to enhance more communication among ourselves, so we can understand that we have more in common than what divides us.” He concluded.
In a traditional ceremonial gesture, Seng passed the IMS flag to Pedro Tabaras, president of Granjas Carroll de Mexico. The next World Meat Congress will be held in 2020 in Cancun, Mexico. — Rae Price, WLJ editor
