Producer-led, consumer-driven advisory committee brings together industry leaders from 12 states to support pork innovation, quality research and consumer education.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The National Pork Board (NPB) recently formed six producer-led advisory committees aligned with its strategic plan, including the new Innovation and Pork Quality Advisory Committee. The committee will focus on improving whole-carcass value, strengthening pork’s differentiated position in the marketplace and supporting long-term, sustainable demand for pork.
The committee brings together pork producers, meat science experts and allied industry representatives from 12 states to provide guidance to NPB staff and its producer-led board. Their input will help advance pork quality research, identify opportunities for product innovation and strengthen pork’s appeal among today’s consumers.
“Convening leadership across the pork industry will guide this advisory committee’s work and keep innovation grounded in consumer needs, but actionable among key stakeholders,” said Kiersten Hafer, vice president of business intelligence and innovation at the National Pork Board. “By pairing research with real-world applications, we can help the supply chain create easy, convenient, portable and culturally relevant pork products that younger consumers will choose and enjoy pork more often.”
Innovation and Pork Quality Advisory Committee Members
The newly established committee includes 20 members representing pork production, genetics, processing, meat science, foodservice, agricultural organizations and allied industries.
- Emily Arkfeld, Chair, NPB Board of Directors, Triumph Foods, Missouri
- Nick Berry, Swine Genetics International, Iowa
- Jennifer Blake, Oregon Pork Producers Association, Oregon
- Peter Brummer, Brummer Farm, Pennsylvania
- Chad Carr, University of Florida, Florida
- Anna Dilger, University of Illinois, Illinois
- Brandon Fields, PIC, Kentucky
- Laura Flemming, Smithfield Foods, Virginia
- Jeff Hansen, Elanco Animal Health, Iowa
- Collette Kaster, American Meat Science Association, Missouri
- Dustin Kendall, Prestage Farms Inc., North Carolina
- Chad Leman, Leman Farms Inc., Illinois
- Connor Livingston, Livingston Enterprises Inc., Nebraska
- Jim Magolski, Perdue Foods, Wisconsin
- Tommie Smothers, Walt Disney World Co., Florida
- Nathan Tentinger, Tentinger Farms, Iowa
- Jennifer Tirey, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois
- Scott Trapp, Wholestone Prestage, Nebraska
- Steve Weiss, NutriQuest, Iowa
- Michael Yeater, The Protein Group, LLC, Texas
The committee elevates meat science expertise and consumer behavior data to advise how to meet consumers’ meal and snack expectations. It will combine expertise and supply chain input to build a shared understanding of how production and processing decisions can improve pork quality and support innovation.
The advisory committee established that the consumer eating experience is critical to pork’s future success. They will review pork’s current state and available tools for assessing raw product quality, so NPB staff and board members can establish learning plans and allocate Pork Checkoff funds responsibly. Favorable eating experiences increase household purchases, making pork more prominent in the hearts and carts of Americans.
Last month’s checkoff-funded Innovation Summit outlined a practical blueprint for scalable success to supply chain leaders and producers. Third-party experts and NPB discussed fabricating and marketing new muscle cuts like coppa, presa, Boston butt burgers, coming from the shoulder, and pluma and katsu from the loin.
NPB is uniquely positioned to convene industry leaders. This new committee will identify how science meets consumer preferences and informs conversations that empower key stakeholders. Together, this geographically diverse advisory committee will help NPB identify how to strategically become more relevant with younger consumers and win with pork.
Building Long-Term Demand for American Pork
The National Pork Board is positioned to bring together pork producers, processors, researchers, foodservice professionals and other supply chain leaders to identify opportunities that strengthen pork’s competitiveness in the protein marketplace.
Through the Innovation and Pork Quality Advisory Committee, NPB will use research, industry expertise and consumer insights to help guide strategic decisions and support meaningful innovation throughout the pork supply chain. With representatives from 12 states and a broad range of industry sectors, the committee will work to identify ways to make pork more relevant to younger consumers while continuing to emphasize product quality, consistency and positive eating experiences.
The committee’s work supports the National Pork Board’s broader goal of building sustainable demand, increasing pork’s value and helping the U.S. pork industry remain competitive in an evolving consumer marketplace.
For additional information about the National Pork Board and its strategic initiatives, visit www.porkcheckoff.org.
