Mercy For Animals’ Post

States are getting ready to ban lab-grown meat https://lnkd.in/dtYzd36k The response from lawmakers sympathetic to ranchers and the meat business normally places cultured meat corporations in a tough scenario. Main meat producers Cargill and Tyson have invested in cultured meat corporations, whereas Brazil's JBS is engaged on a crop analysis website in Brazil. “We see ourselves as an 'and' answer, not an 'or' answer. We’re by no means seeking to exchange typical (meat),” says Sean Edgett, chief authorized officer of Upside Meals, a cultured meat startup that counts Cargill and Tyson amongst its buyers. “We consider there’ll at all times be a spot for it available in the market. So after I take a look at these payments, they appear very protectionist to me.” Wildtype co-founders Justin Kolbeck and Ayré Elfenbein have visited lawmakers in Arizona, Alabama and Florida to attempt to persuade them to reject or modify proposed laws in these states. “The shift we’re seeing is towards one thing far more excessive, which is speaking about outright bans,” says Elfenbein. The co-founders are notably interested by an exception for farmed seafood, mentioning to lawmakers that the USA is a internet importer of seafood and {that a} new supply of fish would enhance meals safety throughout the nation. Additionally worrying cultured meat corporations is a collection of proposed payments that might impose new labeling restrictions. A proposed invoice in Arizona would forestall corporations from utilizing meaty phrases to explain merchandise made with farmed meat, vegetation or bugs. The same invoice in West Virginia handed in March requires any cultured meat product to be labeled as “cell cultured,” “lab-grown,” or the same time period. The truth that lawmakers are proposing laws that lumps cultured meat along with insect meat (a class that many potential customers contemplate disgusting) is a worrying signal, Almy says. A political backlash in opposition to cultured meat is no surprise, says Sparsha Saha, a professor of meat and politics at Harvard's Division of Authorities. “I feel it was at all times going to be political materials, as a result of there are conglomerates, there’s a very highly effective and more and more built-in meat and dairy sector,” she says. In Florida, the controversy was notably excessive. Within the Home of Representatives, Rep. Dean Black referred to as cultured meat a “bacterial tradition” and a “nitrogen-based mobile protein paste.” Consultant Daniel Álvarez in contrast the cells present in cultured meat to most cancers. These arguments are very poorly based, says Elfenbein. “Most of the arguments that had been introduced had been primarily based on the false pretense of safety,” he says. On X day, the Florida agriculture commissioner has in contrast The

"If you put energy into banning something that doesn't even exist on the market, it means that it's going to be huge," said Roman Laus, founder and CEO of Mewery in a comment on a Business Insider article alongside Josh Tetrick, CEO of GOOD Meat and George Peppou, CEO of Vow. The article revisits attempts to ban cultivated meat in selected 🇺🇸 states, whose political leaders are seeking to criminalize its production and distribution before the companies creating the products can get significant market traction. Here are some thoughts mentioned by the leaders of the cultivated meat industry: 💡 "The innovations are anything but political." 💡 "There's nothing about cultivated meat that is a conservative or a liberal thing" -- Josh Tetrick 💡 "There's no question there's an attempt to create this right-left division using cultivated meat as a cudgel — and it's just silly," -- Josh Tetrick 💡 "The past century of US prosperity has been driven by free market policies, and it's disappointing to see legislators move against what has driven the US to be the largest economy on the planet," -- George Peppou 💡 "Politicians should not interfere with the food safety business. If the USDA and FDA approve these kinds of foods, this is the highest authority, and their word should be followed. -- Roman Laus Full article (paid): https://lnkd.in/ebru4fic #cultivatedmeat #novelfood #freemarket #consumerstodecide

"the #DOJ filed an #antitrust lawsuit against #AgriStatsInc. for running #anticompetitive information exchanges among broiler #chicken, #pork and #turkey processors. Agri Stats allegedly collects, integrates and distributes #price, cost and output information among competing #meatprocessors, which allows them to coordinate output and prices in order to maximize profits. That, in turn, means grocery stores and #consumers pay much more...While distributing troves of competitively sensitive information among participating processors, Agri Stats withholds its reports from meat purchasers, workers and American consumers, resulting in an information asymmetry that further exacerbates the competitive harm of Agri Stats’ information exchanges." https://lnkd.in/eTeR7Kvw

As the November reckoning draws closer, President Biden's in trouble at the polls, and many point to #inflation, particularly #foodinflation (close to 6% in 2023), as a key drag on his standing with voters. Hence the political importance of the USDA's ongoing crackdown on alleged abuses arising from a highly consolidated #meatprocessing market. One example of a rising global trend of greater #governmentintervention in food markets, which is likely to continue amid fraught geopolitics and a worsening #climateemergency. --- "Tyson, Cargill and other meat giants will face new regulations cracking down on discriminatory and deceptive contracts with the farmers who grow their chicken and beef, part of the Biden administration's effort to lower consumer food prices by tackling corporate consolidation. [..] A flurry of mergers and acquisitions in the latter half of the 20th century has paved the way for just four firms to control the majority of beef and poultry markets. Half of all broiler growers, for example, have two or fewer processors for which they can raise chickens. A consolidated market has allowed meatpackers to wield inordinate power over their growers, often requiring producers to substantially invest in infrastructure or operations as part of their contracts. Growers have complained that they are often unaware of these costs and a lack of contract transparency prevents them from making informed business decisions. [..] Increasing competition in the meat industry has remained central to the Biden administration's plan to address inflated grocery store prices. However, beef and chicken industries alike have warned of potential unintended market consequences, including higher compliance and litigation costs for companies. The National Chicken Council said in a statement Tuesday that the new rules are falsely "deflecting the blame" of higher food prices onto meatpackers, claiming that onerous regulations are what's raising costs."

The Perfect Storm Battering the Beef Industry: For the biggest players in the beef and broader meat industry, 2024 has delivered a punishing series of blows. Skyrocketing costs, supply chain disruptions, drought conditions, and a dramatic consumer spending pullback have created a perfect storm. Leading the pack of companies facing significant headwinds is Tyson Foods (TSN), the largest U.S. meat processor. Tyson revealed it expects an operating loss between $100 million to $400 million for its beef business this fiscal year. The startling guidance reflects just how rapidly the economics have deteriorated. Tyson isn't alone in sounding the alarm bell. Rivals have painted an equally grim picture in recent weeks. JBS USA, a subsidiary of Brazilian meat giant JBS SA, anticipates its beef operating margins will be slashed in half in 2024 versus 2023 levels. "We're getting squeezed on all sides - higher cattle costs due to drought, soaring energy prices, and customers simply unwilling or unable to absorb our price increases," said JBS USA CEO Andre Nogueira. The worsening drought across key cattle-producing regions like Texas and Kansas has compounded the affordability crisis. Dwindling pasture and hay supplies have forced ranchers to cull their herds at an accelerated rate. This has constrained beef production capacity just as demand has cratered. "We're caught in a vicious cycle of tightening supply and softening demand," explained Cargill CEO Brian Sikes. The global commodity trading giant has raised red flags about its beef business outlook in North America. The pain has even reached up to the restaurant level of the supply chain. Chains like Outback Steakhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse have seen traffic decline in recent months as diners flock to lower-priced casual dining options. Parent company Bloomin' Brands (BLMN) anticipates at least 100 store closures in 2024. While chicken has emerged as a relative winner as consumers trade down the protein ladder, the poultry industry hasn't been immune either. Rising feed costs and bird flu outbreaks have challenged operators like Pilgrim's Pride (PPC) and Sanderson Farms. With industry experts anticipating little relief on costs or supply for the foreseeable future, 2024 may force more painful adjustments across every facet of the beef and animal protein complex. Companies that can nimbly realign their product mixes and adapt to changing consumer preferences will likely fare best in withstanding this unprecedented tempest.

Until the plant based industry understands that if they don’t get involved more actively in the political arena and build support among legislators for cultivated meats there will be very little momentum to move forward. The fact investors and VC Firms who are writing the big checks to fund these companies have done little to advance the cause politically is nothing more than pure stupidity. States, mostly red states driven by kooks like the Florida’s Governor and failed presidential candidate are backing legislation to criminalize the sale of cultivated meats is a a major threat to the industry. Stop putting the blame squarely on the agricultural industry who is using their influence in Congress to help drive legislation that will make it illegal to sell cell based products. Their job is to protect their industry. The fact the plant based industry has repeatedly ignored the propaganda coming out of Fox News that the President of the United States wants to support plant based products and take away the consumers right to purchase hamburgers while complete nonsense the message is proving to resonate with consumers. Ignore the warnings and food and beverage companies will face the consequences of their own making.

FROM THE INTERSECTION: “Iowa’s food landscape can become like Italy’s — if the “barons” who captured the American farmstand can be defeated, a new book argues. “Barons,” published Tuesday by Austin Frerick, a native Iowan and Yale University food policy fellow, argues that a runaway process of monopoly has gutted rural America while bleeding the taste from American food. In the book, Frerick tells the story of the consolidation of American agriculture since the 1970s through the rise of seven “baronial” families that rose to dominate entire sectors of a once-diversified American food system. The subjects of these agricultural sagas range from the Waltons’ conquest of the grocery market, in which Walmart now has the same market share as the second- through eighth-largest grocery chains combined; to the Cargill-MacMillan family’s consolidation of a quarter of the grain market; to the McCloskey family’s commanding position in dairy. Frerick told The Hill this consolidation of the market has led to a collapse in American consumer choice.” 🔥I HOPE PRESIDENT BIDEN BREAKS UP BIG AG, INCREASING COMPETITION, IMPROVING AMERICANS’ NUTRITION & HEALTH, AS WELL AS LOWERING PRICES (AND INFLATION) AT OUR GROCERY STORES‼️

What's Old is New Again, Again... Before it was commoditized and industrialized, milk used to be processed on individual farms, and distributed right to your door by the milkman. As a result, it was FRESH! At SMYTH'S TRINITY FARM, LLC - long before local food was back in vogue, the Smyth family saw an opportunity borne out of the past. Mike and his wife Dale (3rd generation), who are now turning things over to their son Sam, daughter Anne and her husband, Jeremy, would avoid the commodity pricing pressure that has forced most New England dairy farms out of business - in fact the region has lost 10,000 dairy farms in the last 50 years - and control their own destiny by vertically integrating to process and distribute their own milk. In the 1990s, by most folks in agriculture this was seen as rebellious / crazy / just plain "not going to work." But as the Chinese Proverb says, "the person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." And in 2024, their plan does not look so silly anymore. There is vibrant demand for their locally made and distributed award winning glass bottle milk, yogurt, kefir and cheese. The Smyths now have a far more resilient and predictable business than the typical commodity dairy. We are honored to support their continued growth... and will always be a proud partner to farming rebels everywhere! #rebels #locallymade #farmfresh

You know who else should treat farmers fairly? The government. There are so many things that this government could do to demonstrate that they’re acting with integrity. Release the live ex report findings. Meet with the farmers of WA who will be directly impacted by Labor’s ill-conceived live ex ban. Give farmers direct oversight of the biosecurity ‘levy’ instead of directing it to general revenue. It’s really not that hard to be a government that’s accountable, transparent & equitable- god knows the bar has been set low enough in recent years. So why is it such a struggle to behave like decent human beings instead of rank hypocrites?

Collusion? Meat prices elevated deliberately? "Spanning hundreds of pages, the reports contain recent data relating to sales prices, costs such as worker and farmer compensation and output that are often detailed by facility or company. Participating processors accounted for more than 90% of broiler chicken sales, 80% of pork sales and 90% of turkey sales in the United States. The complaint further alleges that Agri Stats understood that meat processors have used these reports for anticompetitive purposes and, in some instances, even encouraged meat processors to raise prices and reduce supply. While distributing troves of competitively sensitive information among participating processors, Agri Stats withholds its reports from meat purchasers, workers and American consumers, resulting in an information asymmetry that further exacerbates the competitive harm of Agri Stats’ information exchanges." ... This lawsuit marks the latest action by the Antitrust Division to combat unlawful information exchanges. It follows a recent enforcement action (here and here) against four poultry processors as well as two facilitators for participating in a long-running conspiracy to suppress workers’ compensation in the poultry industry. In that case, the district court entered consent decrees enjoining the processors from exchanging competitively sensitive information and barring the facilitators from providing surveys or other services that enable direct competitors in any industry to share competitively sensitive information." https://lnkd.in/gfmdaHir