consumer

Dr. André Williamson - The Cost of Increased Regulation to Producers and Consumers

The Cost of Increased Regulation to Producers and Consumers - Dr. André Williamson, Agralytica Senior Consultant, from the Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholders Summit, Real Farmers Real Food, Celebrating Tradition and Technology, May 2-3, Arlington, VA, USA.

Connecting Chefs, Farmers & Foodies

FoodChat on Food and Ag, Panel with Registered Dietitians

Eating Out with Chefs, Farmers & Foodies What is your favorite restaurant and why? Do you look at food labels while eating out? As a restauranteur, do you connect with local farmers for food sources? This #FoodChat discusses eating out, being foodies, and what that connection means to consumers and farmers.

What do Consumers Want

What Consumers Want If you, as a consumer, had the opportunity to ask farmers and ranchers questions, what would you ask? Better yet, what would you like farmers and ranchers to know about you and your family’s food buying decisions? This AgChat convo brings in several consumers (@mz55qrf, @agrospheric, @RyanByrneTweets, @hoadlck, and @jay_kitchener) to find out what consumers want.

Meat and Poultry Demand Ups and Downs

via ThePigSite.com

Dr. Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics, provided an update on the state of the meat and poultry markets. His main take away is that the demand continued to struggle late 2011.

The bad news is that these "annual" numbers for 2011 have been getting worse and worse as the year has progressed.

Steve reminds us that the indexes only describe how demand is changing, not why a change is occurring. He believes consumer incomes and spending was the major negative force in the domestic market in 2011.

Charts below from Paragon Economics, using USDA data.

What Is The 5 Step Animal Welfare Rating Program?

via chicagotribune.com

Whole Foods highlights through a 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating system how animals are raised before being purchased by consumers. Global Animal Partnership (GAP), developers of Whole Foods' rating system, seeks to achieve higher welfare for farm animals by building partnerships, working in collaboration with farmers, ranchers, food retail, and animal science experts.

Whole Foods Market harbors the same hopes for its chickens that many parents do for their kids: That they'll get plenty of fresh air, live at home until they reach maturity and avoid gaining weight so fast that they can't walk.

While Whole Foods Market was the driving force behind developing the standards, GAP Executive Director Miyun Park believes they will move well beyond the chain, spurring "massive improvements in the way animals are raised in this country."

The 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating is available for beef cattle, pigs, and broiler chickens.

BeefCast Update for August 25, 2010, How Does The Asian Consumer Feel About American Beef?

Below are some recent additions to BeefCast to help you manage your operations and understand consumer markets.

BeefCast 0478 - The Facts and Fiction Behind Agriculture's Role in Antimicrobial Resistance - Part 2

BeefCast 0478 Show Notes:

Dr. Jared Taylor, DVM and assistant professor at Oklahoma State University, provides the facts, myths and follies regarding agriculture's role in antimicrobial resistance. Catch up with Part 1.

BeefCast 0477 - The Facts and Fiction Behind Agriculture's Role in Antimicrobial Resistance - Part 1

BeefCast 0477 Show Notes:

Dr. Jared Taylor, DVM and assistant professor at Oklahoma State University, provides the facts, myths and follies regarding agriculture's role in antimicrobial resistance. Follow-up with Part 2.

BeefCast 0469 - How Animal Activists Might Impact Your Future - Animal Ag Alliance Summit

BeefCast 0469 Show Notes:

Animal Agriculture Alliance faces off on anti-farm activists intent on changing the choices in your future: Truth, Lies and Videotape: Is Activism Jeopardizing Our Food Security?

BeefCast 0462 - Why the up tick in the markets: lower carcass weights or the export picture for competing proteins?

BeefCast 0462 Show Notes:

Let's look a little deeper into the recent up tick in the cattle markets. Is it due to lighter carcass weights or possibily less competition in the protein market? Jim Robb of the Livestock Marketing Information Center helps us out.