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ARLINGTON, VA – The Meat Institute today released an economic study that found the meat and poultry processing industry contributes $57.3 billion to the US economy and provides 584,000 jobs. The entire meat and poultry industry, including livestock production, animal feed, equipment manufacturing, transportation and more contributes $347.7 billion in value to the nation, supporting 3.2 million jobs. “The meat and poultry industry is a critical and growing part of the US economy, and one that has outsized importance to rural economies,” said Meat Institute President and CEO, Julie Anna Potts. “Our member companies are often the biggest employers in their rural communities, and their impact goes beyond jobs. In addition to the taxes they pay, they invest in their communities with generous donations of food and make financial and other irreplaceable contributions to local infrastructure like housing, community spaces, schools, and childcare.” The Meat Institute commissioned Decision Innovation Solutions to conduct the economic contribution study. The complete analysis is here. The study and data searchable by state and Congressional district is here. Key Findings Meat and Poultry Industry Direct Contributions to the National Economy in 2025: $57.3 billion in value  Nearly 584,000 jobs  $40.6 billion in labor income  $311.0 billion in total sales (output)  $12.5 billion in local, state, and federal taxes   After accounting for these indirect and induced effects, the total economic contribution of the U.S. meat and poultry processing industry is: $347.7 billion in value  More than 3.2 million jobs  $205.3 billion in labor income  $911.7 billion in total sales (output)  $77.0 billion in local, state, and federal taxes   (Indirect and induced effects: The meat and poultry processing industry generates significant economic activity in other industries including livestock and poultry production, animal feed manufacturing, grain and oilseed production, truck and rail transportation, equipment manufacturing, and more.) State and Congressional District Economic Contributions: The report also estimates the economic contributions of the meat and poultry processing industry for each state and federal congressional district. While the meat and poultry processing industry drives some economic activity in every state and nearly every district, there are some areas where the industry’s impact is undeniably irreplaceable: Top States: Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Georgia, North Carolina, Kansas, California, and Arkansas. Top Districts: Nebraska-3, Iowa-4, Texas13, Kansas-1, Minnesota-1, and Arkansas-3 About the Meat Institute The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.

A joint statement by agricultural organisations from Argentina, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Georgia, India, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, and South Africa. Farmers, processors and relevant sector organisations from 14 nations have united to call for the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to follow best scientific practice and take a split gas approach when reporting long-lived and short-lived greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). A split gas approach is needed to more accurately reflect the contribution of the agricultural sector to climate change. UNFCCC guidelines are clear and allow national GHG inventories to report GHG emissions separately and set Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in any form they wish. This can be done in parallel while also reporting using the standard GWP100 metric. Uruguay has already demonstrated the best scientific practice and set a split gas NDC: other countries should follow this leadership. In addition, the UNFCCC has committed to a first review of its modalities, procedures and guidelines, to be undertaken by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) no later than 2028. This review provides an important opportunity to embed a split gas approach into future reporting frameworks, ensuring that national inventories and NDCs better reflect the distinct warming behaviours of long- and short-lived GHGs. We request that all UNFCCC parties support a split gas approach as an outcome of this review process. Long- and short-lived GHGs behave very differently in the atmosphere. Long-lived gases, such as nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), are sometimes described as ‘stock’ gases because they accumulate over time. Short-lived gases, such as biogenic methane, are often referred to as ‘flow’ gases because their relatively short lifetime means the rate of their ongoing emissions determines their warming effect. The current practice of using GWP100 to report NDCs creates ambiguity by obscuring the warming impacts of the different gases. Although GWP100 works well when summing or comparing the warming impact of various long-lived GHGs (such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide), it does not accurately represent the warming impact of short-lived GHGs (such as biogenic methane). The science is clear: emissions of long-lived gases must reach net zero by reducing as far as possible and then balancing with carbon storage or removals to prevent further warming. In contrast, emissions of short-lived gases, like biogenic methane, only need to decline gradually to have the same effect. This fundamental difference in behaviour needs to be recognised in climate policy, and adopting a split gas approach is the most effective way to do so. The agricultural sector is not alone in making this request and supports an earlier initiative by scientists calling for best practice reporting, by separate gases, rather than continuing to use GWP100 as a combined metric. Communicating biogenic methane emissions using GWP100, as many NDCs, GHG inventories, and policies currently do, is generally an inaccurate reflection of warming. GWP100 overstates the effect of constant methane emissions on global surface temperature by a factor of 3–4. It also understates the effect of any new methane emission source by a factor of 4–5 over the 20 years following the introduction of a new source. A split gas approach does not limit the options available to policymakers, as ambitious mitigation approaches for both long-lived and short-lived GHGs are possible with a split gas approach. Instead, it focuses policy on the warming impact of the GHGs and, therefore, on the warming impact between sectors. In addition to taking a split gas approach, we also advocate the use of warming-based metrics relevant to respective long- and short-lived gases, which have already been recognised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as providing better estimates of warming impact. We ask that all UNFCCC parties: Communicate their NDCs using a split gas approach; Complement split gas NDCs with split gas GHG inventories, split gas GHG budgets, split gas product life cycle assessments, and take a split gas approach to all climate policies; Support the use of a split gas approach as an outcome of the first review of UNFCCC modalities, procedures, and guidelines; Use, where appropriate, warming-based metrics that have been recognised by the IPCC to better compare the warming impact of long- and short-lived GHGs relative to GWP100; and Support robust discussion on the balance between biogenic methane management within the agricultural sectors and the need for food security under a changing climate.   The joint statement represents the following organisations: Argentina: Mesa Argentina de Carne Sustenable Australia: Australian Wool Innovation Ltd, Cattle Australia, Sheep Producers Australia, National Farmers Federation Cambodia: Cambodian Farmer Federation  Canada: Canadian Cattle Association, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Sheep Federation Colombia: Federacion Colombiana de Ganaderos Georgia: Georgian Farmers Association India: United Farmers Front Ireland: Irish Farmers Association, Meat Industry Ireland Kenya: Kenya National Farmers Federation New Zealand: Beef + Lamb New Zealand, DairyNZ, Federated Farmers of New Zealand South Africa: Red Meat Industry Services, Southern African Agri Initiative, TLU SA United Kingdom: British Meat Processors Association, National Farmers Union, National Sheep Association, Quality Meat Scotland United States: Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Uruguay: Asociacion Rural, Cooperativas Agrarias Federadas, Federación Rural Global/International: Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, International Wool Textile Organisation   Q&A  What We’re Calling For A split gas approach to emissions reduction targets. This would create separate emissions reduction targets for different types of GHGs that warm our atmosphere in different ways. Why We’re Calling For It Separate targets help focus attention on each type of GHG reduction needed to keep our climate within liveable boundaries. Currently, most countries do not distinguish between emissions reductions from short-lived pollutants and long-lived pollutants in their net zero goals. This means the real-time impact of planned reductions cannot be properly understood and may or may not constrain climate change within liveable boundaries. Expressing methane emissions as carbon dioxide equivalent emissions using GWP100 (as most NDCs do) overstates the effect of constant methane emissions on global surface temperature by a factor of 3–4. It also understates the effect of any new methane emission source by a factor of 4–5 over the 20 years following the introduction of the new source. Further Work on Metrics The future warming of our atmosphere depends on our current temperature and emissions, and future emissions (and removals), but different combinations of short- and long-lived emissions will produce very different futures. The use of the current single-basket approach does not adequately capture this reality. The IPCC AR6 pathways show when the world could ‘tip’ into a warmer state based on the emissions trajectory. They do this by combining methane emissions and carbon dioxide emissions in a way that averages methane’s impacts over 100 years (hence GWP100). This means that over a 100-year period, methane emissions are estimated to be 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide emissions in terms of temperature impact. But, as highlighted above, the current modelling overstates the effect of constant methane emissions on global temperature by a factor of 3–4 while understating the effect of increased methane emissions by a factor of 4–5. Climate policy is fundamentally about reducing atmospheric warming. A split gas approach would be a more accurate way of reporting to ensure that agricultural climate policy is on the right track. How to Do It We request that countries set NDCs that do not bundle methane and carbon dioxide together. Separate contributions from short-lived and long-lived GHGs can be reported by countries. This does not necessarily have to affect any existing or planned NDCs or long-term net zero strategies reported using aggregate CO2-e GWP100. So what next? We believe the extra transparency of a split gas approach will, over time, produce policy shifts which better protect our future climate and more accurately reflect the contribution of the beef and dairy sectors. Uruguay has already started to develop separate future emissions pathways for short- and long-lived GHGs. The conversation needs to shift from reducing emissions to also reducing warming impacts. Establishing a separate pathway for short-lived emissions opens up a new conversation about what is a ‘fair and achievable’ emissions reduction target for global agriculture.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Meat Institute’s fourth annual continuous improvement report released at the Protein PACT Summit today (Wednesday) demonstrates progress on ambitious sustainability goals and provides updates on tools and partnerships accelerating achievement throughout the supply chain. The report reflects data from companies representing the majority of meat sold in the United States, and for the first time includes data from member companies of the Canadian Meat Council. 81% of the Meat Institute’s largest member companies (more than 1000 employees) submitted data, including 100% the Meat Institute’s Executive Board members. In addition, the Meat Institute’s metrics and goals align closely with on-farm efforts in beef, pork, poultry and feed to drive supply chain-wide sustainability. Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts commented: “The Meat Institute created meat first-ever sector-wide data framework, and reliable, transparent data are the foundation on which our continuous improvement journey rests. But data alone is not enough. Continuous improvement is, by definition, an ongoing and long-term commitment. It requires collaboration, accountability, and investment to ensure we can maintain momentum year after year. This year’s report elaborates on the many ways the entire animal agriculture community is advancing our shared commitment to sustaining nutrient-dense animal-source foods for generations to come.” Key indicators and initiatives reflected in the report include: Examples of Protein PACT partners’ animal care initiatives, such as through Beef Quality Assurance®, Pork Quality Assurance Plus®, and U.S. dairy’s FARM Animal Care Program. Meat Institute data show 92% of reporting establishments that handle live animals have a comprehensive animal welfare program based on the Meat Institute’s Animal Handling Guidelines, and 92% pass third-party animal handling audits, at minimum annually. Examples of Protein PACT partners’ food safety initiatives and achievements. For example, according to the 2025 We Care® Sustainability Report, all fresh pork produced annually can be traced from retail or foodservice locations back to the packing plant or farm. Federal data on worker safety, showing workplace safety incidents continue their overall pattern of decades-long declines. Meat Institute resources supporting further achievements in worker safety include launching resources for “Worker Safety Topics of the Month” and partnering with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, as a contractor to the Beef Quality Assurance program, to launch updated worker safety training and education videos featuring best practices for individuals working with cattle in feedlots and in packer/processor facilities. The Meat Institute is also working with partners to expand best practice training resources to pork. Examples of contributions to supporting communities and ending hunger. 82% of reporting companies make donations to food banks and/or other charities. Meat Institute members and partners across animal agriculture donate tens of millions of dollars and meals to food banks, scholarship funds, and other charities across the country every year. Examples of Protein PACT partners’ initiatives to optimize contributions to healthy land, water, and air. 40 Meat Institute member companies have participated in emissions measurement, disclosure, and abatement training via Suppliers Leading on Climate Transition, building on the Meat Institute’s development of a practical tool to help meat companies conduct emissions surveys. The Meat Institute’s full 2025 continuous improvement report is available here and a summary available here. About the Meat Institute The Meat Institute is the United States’ oldest and largest trade association representing packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal, turkey, and processed meat products. Meat Institute members include over 350 meat packing and processing companies, the majority of which have fewer than 100 employees, and account for over 95 percent of the United States’ output of meat and 70 percent of turkey production. To learn more, visit MeatInstitute.org. About the Protein PACT The Protein PACT unites partners across animal protein to accelerate the entire sector’s progress toward global sustainable development goals for healthy people, healthy animals, healthy communities, and a healthy environment. Protein PACT partners are establishing transparent baselines and benchmarks, setting ambitious targets for continuous improvement, collecting data to verify and transparently report on progress, and launching comprehensive communications about animal protein’s unique place in healthy diets and sustainable food systems. To learn more, visit www.TheProteinPACT.org.

ARLINGTON, VA – The Meat Institute today announced it has joined the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, expanding its access to food safety best practices and other efforts to prevent foodborne illness on behalf of meat and poultry companies. The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness is a nonprofit program of Stop Foodborne Illness. It brings together consumer advocates, leading companies, and like-minded organizations committed to the goal of preventing foodborne disease. The Alliance comprises 20+ members from around the globe working together to share best practices and advance food safety culture. “Our members heard from Christopher George, a Stop Foodborne Illness constituent, at our recent Food Safety Conference in Kansas City,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “His personal testimony about his son nearly dying from contracting E. coli O157:H7 was a powerful reminder of the life-or-death consequences of all we do to protect against foodborne illness.” Stop Foodborne Illness works to amplify compelling personal stories, like George’s, about the impact of foodborne illness to motivate people at all levels to do the right thing every day to make food safe. The Meat Institute’s membership in the Alliance will help the Meat Institute collaborate and share best practices which then helps Meat Institute members with continuous improvement and to further establish a culture of food safety at their companies. An example of the important work conducted by the Alliance is its Food Safety Culture Toolkit, a free resource library of video testimonials from impacted consumers, interactive games, and customizable communication and assessment tools. This is the latest in a series of tangable initiatives led by the Meat Institute to re-emphasize food safety as a top priority for its members. Earlier this year, a task force was created to build a set of tools and templates for top company executives to use in governing and promoting a food safety culture. The Meat Institute will offer programming and training on these tools for senior executives at the “Protein PACT Solutions Summit” in October. To learn more and to register go here. The Meat Institute is also working on new industry guidance on Listeria control called the “Foundations of Listeria Control,” to be published later this month. Continuing the conversation from the Food Safety Conference, the Meat Institute is offering a Food Safety Exchange Series designed to provide ongoing education and insight on the critical issues shaping food safety. In addition, the Meat Institute offers the “Advanced Listeria monocytogenes Intervention & Control Workshop” twice a year with the next held October 22-23, in Kansas City, MO. About the Meat Institute The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.

Ottawa, ON & Washington, D.C. – The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) is pleased to launch the Protein PACT sustainability framework for the Canadian meat processing sector. This significant initiative aims to enhance sustainability practices across the industry, aligning with global standards while addressing critical issues. The Protein PACT, developed by the U.S. based Meat Institute, is a partnership uniting stakeholders across the animal protein industry to accelerate progress toward global sustainable development goals, focusing on people, animals, communities, and the environment. By bringing the Protein PACT to Canada, CMC members will be able to collaboratively and pre- competitively advance the sustainability of the animal processing sector. By adapting this framework for Canada, the CMC is empowering Canadian meat processors to collaborate on shared sustainability goals and work together to improve North American-wide practices. “Canada’s red meat processing sector have sophisticated science-based practices and outcomes across their establishments and systems in place,” says CMC President & CEO Chris White “this initiative will provide a vehicle to broadly communicate these initiatives and demonstrate our leadership to key stakeholders.” “By uniting industry stakeholders under a common framework, the Protein PACT will ensure that Canada’s meat processors can continuously improve their operations to achieve the highest standards of sustainability, transparency, and accountability,” adds Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. Through initiatives like the Protein PACT, the North American meat processing industry is poised to make even greater strides in advancing sustainability and meeting the challenges of the future. For more information on the Protein PACT and how to get involved, visit www.TheProteinPACT.org . About the Canadian Meat Council The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) is the national voice of the Canadian meat processing industry, representing members who produce beef, pork, and other meat products for Canadian and global markets. The CMC is committed to advancing the interests of its members through advocacy, education, and the promotion of best practices across the industry. Learn more by visiting, cmc-cvc.com. About the Meat Institute The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org. About the Protein PACT The Protein PACT unites partners across animal protein to accelerate the entire sector’s progress toward global sustainable development goals for healthy people, healthy animals, healthy communities, and a healthy environment. Protein PACT partners are establishing transparent baselines and benchmarks, setting ambitious targets for continuous improvement, collecting data to verify and transparently report on progress, and launching comprehensive communications about animal protein’s unique place in healthy diets and sustainable food systems. To learn more, visit www.TheProteinPACT.org

March 24, 2024 (Orlando, Fla.) – Meat sales hit a record high of $104.6 billion in 2024, pounds sold increased 2.3% compared to 2023, and consumers, on average, purchase meat more than once per week (Circana) – keeping meat the largest fresh department in grocery, according to the 20th annual Power of Meat report released today at the Annual Meat Conference by the Meat Institute and FMI—The Food Industry Association. Nearly all (98%) of American households purchase meat (Circana), and 73% of Americans view meat as an overall healthy choice. Getting enough protein is very/somewhat important to 90% of Americans, and animal proteins, including eggs (83%), chicken (82%) and beef (76%), top the list of foods that most consumers view as protein-rich foods. Other priorities among meat shoppers include preparing comfort meals, having quick prep options, and getting creative with ingredients. The average American shops for meat 54 times per year and spends $16.12 on meat per trip (Circana). Rick Stein, Vice President of Fresh Foods for FMI commented: “As shoppers’ definition of value has expanded to include price, quality, relevance, convenience and experience, they are including meat in 90% of home-cooked dinners and looking for various options to suit their schedules, tastes, and interests. Whether shoppers are looking for the convenience of new ground meats or incorporating semi-prepared options in their meal prep, the meat department delivers.” Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts added: “With most Americans (74%) so confident in meat as a nutrient powerhouse that is top of mind for protein needs, it’s no surprise people are buying more meat than ever. Meat Institute members are committed to making the nutrient-dense meat Americans need and keeping America’s farm economy thriving, today and for generations to come.” The Power of Meat study was conducted by 210 Analytics on behalf of FMI—The Food Industry Association and the Meat Foundation and sponsored by CRYOVAC® Brand Food Packaging. Sales and purchase dynamics data are provided by Circana for the 52 weeks ending 12/29/24. For summary of key findings, see: Power of Meat 2025 infographic The Top 10 Findings of the Power of Meat 2025 Media may contact FMI or Meat Institute representatives for a complimentary copy of the full Power of Meat 2025 report. About the Meat Institute and the Meat Foundation The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. The Meat Foundation is the Meat Institute’s research and scholarship arm, investing in critical areas such as food safety; nutrition, health and wellness; environment; animal welfare; and labor and human rights and supporting education and professional development in each of these areas, fostering the meat industry’s future leaders. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org. About FMI—The Food Industry Association As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. For more information, visit: www.FMI.org.