Protein PACT summit highlights years of work and many more to come

Looking back on our second annual Protein PACT Summit earlier this month, I am more hopeful, excited, and confident about the future of sustainable animal agriculture than ever. Many in our community were able to join us October 4-6 in San Diego, and for those who couldn’t we hope to see you in the future (save the date for Protein PACT Summit 2024 – October 9-11 in Austin, TX).

During the summit, the Meat Institute released our 2nd annual Protein PACT continuous improvement report, which builds from transparent baselines as described in our 2022 report (you can access a summary infographic or read the full report here). Our first-of-its-kind data collection and reporting continues to represent a momentous – and sustained – shift in the sector.

When we began collecting data on more than 90 metrics last year, meat packers and processors had no history of collecting and sharing data in this way. That’s one reason we are tremendously proud to see that the number of companies submitting data grew by 59% this year, now covering more than half of all establishments operated by Meat Institute members. 93% of large companies and 86% of Meat Institute Executive Board members have submitted data, which represents 90 percent of the industry by volume.

Participating members are companies of all sizes and at all stages of their sustainability journeys, and the Meat Institute remains committed to ensuring that 100% of members report on all metrics by 2030. We believe this data effort is essential, not only in transparent communication of our work but in objective measurement of our performance and to incentivize implementation of best practices sector-wide.

Among the Meat Institute’s five focus areas for continuous improvement, one key target is the Meat Institute’s aim for 100% of members to set science-based emissions reduction targets by 2030. To date, 14 Meat Institute general members representing the majority of meat sold in the United States, plus 10 supplier/allied members, have set or publicly committed to set targets verified by the Science-Based Targets Initiative.

While those companies represent a majority of meat sold in the United States, we know there are significant gaps in both technical knowledge and practical expertise required to further advance this target. We are developing tools and resources for members and partners to help fill those gaps – for example, we jointly released with the UN Global Compact Network USA in September a practical tool to help meat companies of all sizes conduct greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories as the first step toward setting science-based emission reduction targets.

In addition to the release of our 2023 data, other highlights of the Summit included:

●      A panel on “Cultivating a Better Food System through Collaboration,” moderated by Food Tank President Danielle Nierenberg and featuring panelists Ron Mardesen (A-Frame Acres, Niman Ranch), Sandra Vijn (Kipster), and Chad Ellis (Texas Agricultural Land Trust) discussing their efforts to reduce waste, optimize environmental impacts, and end hunger, among other objectives.

●      Presentations by Protein PACT Academic Advisory Council members, Dr. Alexa Lamm (University of Georgia) and Dr. Craig Gundersen (Baylor University), who shared their perspectives on communicating facts, building trust, and addressing policy consequences in the meat sector.

●      Multiple sessions on working across the supply chain and with partners around the world to achieve continuous improvement and meet sustainability goals. Renowned experts took the stage, including Ruaraidh Petre and Ian McConnel from the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Tim Hardman from Fulton Market Group, Tom Chen from EcoVadis and Ruth Ann Wisener from Bunge among others.

It seems San Diego is the place to be for sustainability dialogues this month. In fact, I’m back there this week for the Sustainable Brands conference. The Protein PACT is proud to be a sponsor of the conference and to convene a panel on animal agriculture’s continuous improvement principles, practices, and proof. We’re are excited to connect with sustainability professionals and discuss diverse perspectives, sharing how the nutrient-dense foods we produce play a critical role in sustainable food systems and food security.

Let me end on a note about the importance of actively getting outside our silos and individual areas of expertise. To be honest, Sustainable Brands is a new venue for the Protein PACT, and that’s exactly why we’re honored to have the opportunity to participate. None of us can deliver the solutions our future requires alone, and we can’t expect to develop shared pathways if we are not engaging in open dialogue.

Certainly for my part, I am confident the meat sector and our partners across animal agriculture have much to offer, and we have so much more work to do. We want to be present in all conversations about food’s future, and we are making the investments to earn our place and demonstrate our commitment.

As we look ahead to the milestone of the UN Climate Summit at the end of the year and beyond, I hope we can all share that open-minded approach and stay connected to learn from each other’s efforts.

If you don’t yet receive our quarterly Protein PACT newsletter and are interested in subscribing, contact me at emittenthal@meatinstitute.org or comment “newsletter” below. And as always, we hope you’ll join the Protein PACT conversation here on LinkedIn or on our other social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).

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