Subsequent to adoption of the new 2016-2020 Beef Industry Long Range Plan during the 2015 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver last week, the national Beef Checkoff Program transitioned its committee structure to reflect the consumer demand drivers critical to the success of that long range plan.
“Our checkoff committees align directly with the core strategies of the current Long Range Plan to make certain that our checkoff investments are tightly focused on the most important goals for the industry as a whole,” said Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chairman Jimmy Maxey, “so we felt it necessary to realign our committee structure with that new Long Range Plan.”
Federation of State Beef Councils Chairman Jennifer Houston explained further: “Checkoff committee deliberations are a key element in how programs are identified, and this new blueprint for our committee structure will go a long way toward focusing our checkoff efforts.”
The five new checkoff committees, which comprise members of the Beef Board and the Federation in recommending programs for funding with the Beef Board budget, include:
- Safety Committee – Beef safety research and communication at all levels will be the focus of this committee, including how producers improve the safety of their product and how to best share safety information with beef community stakeholders, consumers and influencers.
- Nutrition and Health Committee – This committee will focus on beef nutrition and health research and communication, including how producers might improve and share beef’s nutrition and health benefits with beef community stakeholders, consumers and influencers.
- Innovation Committee – This committee will focus on innovation in both beef products and beef product marketing in the channels. That is based on the fact that consumers, processors, retailers, foodservice operators, and other beef community stakeholders want new, fresh ideas for beef in the retail meat case and on consumers’ plates.
- Export Growth Committee – Given that export markets offer opportunity for unparalleled growth for U.S. beef, this committee will focus on growing value and volume of exports through management of access issues originating within the market itself, as well as aggressive and effective in-country product marketing in those countries offering excellent opportunity for U.S. beef.
- Social Responsibility Committee – With a great story to tell, this committee will focus on building and maintaining consumer trust by using research to pursue continual improvement, with an eye toward long-term sustainable and profitable beef production, and better consumer communications.
In addition to the five committees, the two organizations voted for continuation of the checkoff’s Market Research Working Group and Investor Relations Working Group (formerly the Producer Communications Working Group).
For Summer Conference committee recaps, and to learn more about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.
UNDERSTANDING THE BEEF CHECKOFF PROGRAM
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
www.mybeefcheckoff.com
Source: The Beef Checkoff Program
