January 25, 2010

JBS outlines challenges for beef industry

Thin profit margins are not the only the challenge faced by the beef industry, according to JBS as the company lists out another five top challenges.

Chandler Keyes, ombudsman for JBS, said the beef industry faces tough challenges from food safety, trade, environment, animal welfare issues and sustainability.

Keyes said the E. coli problem will be with the beef industry until it can be forced out of feedlots, packing plants and further processing, and the consumers will demand that.

For trade, JBS sees opportunities to export beef into places where the meat has not traditionally been part of the diet. For example, shipping canned beef products into Africa so that refrigeration is not required.

Keyes noted that suburban consumers are green consumers, and clean air and water are important to them, therefore the beef sector must strive for that.

For animal welfare, Keyes said consumers want animals to be treated humanely during slaughter, and the industry must regulate itself or it would be regulated at both the state and federal levels.

For sustainability, Keyes said the argument between sustainable agriculture and production agriculture is dangerous when one out of six Americans is hungry.