Project Overview
Commodities
- Animals: bovine, poultry, swine
- Animal Products: meat
Practices
- Animal Production: meat processing, meat processing facilities
- Farm Business Management: grant making
- Sustainable Communities: employment opportunities, infrastructure analysis, local and regional food systems
Proposal abstract:
COVID-19’s impact on meat processing and the resulting supply chain breakdown led to increased interest among policymakers for supporting small meat processing. However, producers struggled to access processing services even prior to the pandemic. Even today, farmers in this proposal are required to book a processing date 12-18 months in advance, which is an unreasonable fit for the variability that comes with knowing when animals will be ready to butcher. The processing shortage affects how producers can market their meat (custom versus USDA inspected) and the quantity of meat they have to sell. States and the federal government have considered a wide range of policies when it comes to addressing processing bottlenecks, including grant or loan programs for small processors, workforce development programs, and more. This includes grant projects in some areas to support small plant growth, but there has not been an assessment to date regarding whether these projects have positively impacted sustainable livestock and poultry systems. In some instances, the grant funds were awarded quickly and may not have included a thorough assessment of the processing needs in that region. Small plant closures are still occurring in the areas we are hoping to analyze (AR, OK, and TX) where clear processing gaps remain for certain species. The producer participants in this proposal are located across three states (AR, OK, TX) and rely on local processing to sustain their operations. The goal of this project is to assess and compare the impact these state and federal policies have on sustainable meat and poultry farmers in AR, OK, and TX, as well as small processors’ economic viability, small plant workers’ safety and wages, supply chain resiliency, and an overall shift towards a more sustainable food system. This research will: 1) determine the efficacy of recent policies (within the last 10 years), (2) identify weaknesses in the current policies and opportunities for policy action to improve processing access, quality of life in rural communities, and economic sustainability, and 3) promote well-researched policy recommendations and ideas to support the region’s sustainable livestock and poultry systems. The proposed solutions include a report and toolkit producers can use to advocate for policies that will alleviate processing bottlenecks. The project will have a strong educational component featuring success stories, lessons learned, and tips for future grant funded support for small-scale processors. After assessing existing facilities in the three states, we will create a map highlighting every facility with information about the species slaughtered or processed, hours of operation, and where additional processing is needed. We will share materials and educational resources through online and print publications, websites, webinars, and other outreach methods. Objectives will include: 1) gathering and analyzing research data on the policies that impact small meat and poultry plants; 2) identifying where the processing gaps in these states exist; 3) producing educational materials for small processors, farmers and ranchers, and other key stakeholders; and 4) implementing best practices for addressing processing gaps in these three states.
Project objectives from proposal:
From the farmer survey, processor survey, interviews, and our team’s own legal and policy research and analysis, the project team will achieve the following objectives:
- Collect and analyze research data on the policies that impact small meat and poultry plants in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, including the plants’ economic viability, worker safety and wages, processing and slaughter access for independent farmers, and rural job creation.
- Evaluate policies and programs around small, independent processing and sustainable livestock and poultry production.
- Characterize the policy trends that will create a more sustainable and resilient livestock and poultry processing supply chain.
- Identify where processors are located and where processing gaps are in these three states.
- Produce educational materials for small processors, farmers and ranchers, and other key stakeholders detailing best practices for processing expansion in their area and where there are policy barriers and opportunities.
Next, our project team will create a report and toolkit based on our research that will achieve the following objective:
6. Explain the impact of certain policies on farm and ranch and processing and slaughter businesses and how to engage in research-based policy making at the local, state, and federal levels.
Additionally, we will research the success and barriers small processors face when trying to meet the demands of ranchers and farmers, including potential legal and policy impacts. Case studies on these small processors will focus on the following learning objectives:
7. Discover best practices for expansion.
8. Observe where policies can benefit expansion and where policies can prevent expansion.
The two half-day virtual webinars that will include livestock and poultry producers and small processors and the short videos will meet the following learning objectives:
9. Understand the processing expansion barriers and where policies can help address these barriers.
10. Recognize the necessary questions to ask to ensure their processing facility is a sustainable business model for their operations and includes a well-paid, safe, and healthy workforce.
11. Describe where there are economic, legal, and policy gaps that prevent processing expansion in their region.
The area small processor list will help farmers achieve the following objective:
12. Outline what processors are in the area, including newer processors, including what services the processors provide.
Overall, we hope this project will achieve the following objectives:
13. Implement best practices for addressing processing gaps in these three states.
14. Develop new policies that will help address processing gaps, support workers, and increase small business sustainability in this multi-state region.