2024 wrap-up with NCBA CEO, Colin woodall (op-ed)

Colin Woodall - CEO, NCBA (A contractor to the National Beef Checkoff)

As we close out 2024, the beef industry remains resilient and optimistic despite ongoing challenges.

2024 Wrap-Up: Advancements and Achievements in the Beef Industry (Op-Ed) By: Colin Woodall, CEO, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff

It’s been quite a year for the beef industry, but as we close out 2024, demand remains strong and cattle producers remain optimistic. It seems like the past few updates I’ve written for you, I always touch on the domestic herd and when we expect the herd to expand. Cattle markets are good, and as I mentioned, consumers still want our beef. All we need is rain and green grass. We don’t have enough of that yet to convince producers to start rebuilding. La Niña remains the dominant weather pattern, and that means continued drought throughout most of the cattle producing areas of the United States. The analysts we work with say there is a chance of El Niño developing late next year, but that means we will miss another season. As cattle producers always do, we will continue to hope for moisture and the chance to expand our business.

As producers, we can’t rely on hope alone. We must be proactive in looking at ways to improve ourselves and our operations. As a contractor to the national Beef Checkoff, NCBA has a robust scientific affairs department that leads our research efforts in developing industry improvement. Pre-harvest beef safety is one area where our goal is to facilitate and communicate solution-based strategies to improve beef safety through things such as pathogen mitigation. Mitigation strategies are those actions we can take in the cattle production system that will reduce the number of pathogens that are carried into the beef supply. One of the best things we can do to improve the safety of our product is to prevent the vectors from ever entering our system from the outside. There are multiple ways pathogens and vectors can impact the safety of our product which is why we also must look at those areas or factors that can carry or transfer pathogens within the system. The only way to manage these pathogens is to know how they work, how they are transferred, and the problems they present to public health. Maintaining the consumer’s faith in the safety of our beef is paramount to their continued demand for our product.

The next priority area is human nutrition research where our goal is to understand beef’s role in a healthy diet to nourish and optimize Americans’ health at every life stage. Our team of nutrition scientists and Registered Dieticians works to manage original scientific research that evaluates beef’s role in optimal human health and the prevention of chronic disease. This research focuses on human growth and development, metabolic health such as heart disease, muscle health, and how beef fits into a balanced diet. This research is currently being considered in the development of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Taking this knowledge and educating the scientific community is key to getting others to promote beef’s role in a healthy diet, to improve scientific methods, and to enable us to partner with leading scientific organizations and individuals to further our credibility.

Product quality research utilizes science to drive understanding of, and improvement in, product quality and consistency. Over the years, the quality of our beef has improved, and this research area aims at continually improving industry practices or actions that impact the consistency of beef flavor, tenderness, juiciness, color, and shelf life, and the yield of total red meat from each carcass. This research area also provides technical services to the industry. Our team of meat scientists share our knowledge of beef muscles and cuts, fabrication methods, nomenclature, and more with many of you and others in the beef supply chain. Identification and development of the popular flat iron steak is a great example of our product quality research.

The final research priority area is sustainability. This research aims to advance the field of beef sustainability research, benchmark industry sustainability, and identify opportunities for improvement while maintaining a holistic focus on the three pillars of sustainability. The first of those three pillars is the work we do on environmental research which looks at greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient cycling, ecosystem services, and water quality. Economic research is the second pillar and it evaluates the importance of keeping beef cattle operations in business while evaluating beef’s role in driving local and national economies. The third pillar evaluates the social sustainability of cattle producers and their impact on personal, social, and community dynamics.

Our research is critical to your success and the success of beef cattle producers. If you’d like to learn more, just reach out and we will provide more details on this research and how it may help you. As always, thank you for all you do to promote beef.

- Colin Woodall - CEO, NCBA