November 3, 2022

US' North American Meat Institute notes meat industry's part in achieving sustainability

North American Meat Institute (NAMI) — which represents 95% of the United States' meat processors — has emphasised sustainability in recent years amid growing calls from researchers to eat less meat due to the industry's carbon footprint.

In a statement, NAMI president and chief executive officer Julie Anna Potts highlighted the meat industry's role in finding sustainable solutions for the planet.

“The Meat Institute's first-ever continuous improvement report is a game changer for transparency in the sector - setting transparent baselines that will allow us to measure progress and verify our sector's contributions to global goals,” Potts said.

NAMI underscored meat's importance with statistics from a report from the Food Industry Association (FMI), which found that 98% of US households purchase meat and 75% of Americans surveyed said meat belongs in a healthy, balanced diet.

Animal feed-based solutions to lower methane from cattle are in development and will likely gain wider adoption in the CPG space in the coming years. Red seaweed may lower methane emissions by 98% in cattle, according to the EPA.

Beef giant JBS said it is partnering with ingredients maker Royal DSM on a feed additive that suppresses the enzyme producing methane by 90%. DSM North America president Hugh Welsh told Food Dive earlier this year that the additive is under review with the FDA which could delay its approval.

Other solutions have aimed to repurpose the methane emitted in the meat supply chain. Various farmers use digesters in order to convert manure into renewable energy, a practice supported by EPA grants, according to a report from Yale Climate Connections.

- Food Dive