USDA Releases Adaptation to a Changing Climate Report
An
84-page report from the USDA Economic Research Service, “Agricultural
Adaptation to a Changing Climate: Economic and Environmental Implications Vary
by U.S.Region” , suggests that farmers have considerable flexibility to adapt
to changes in local weather, resource conditions, and price signals by
adjusting crops, rotations, and production practices. Such adaptation can
partially mitigate the impacts of climate change on national agricultural
markets but may have significant implications for both regional land use and
environmental quality. The report
summary and full report can be found online at http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/848748/err136.pdf
Report on Locally Sourced Meat Marketing Released
Lack of
slaughter facilities is a key reason why more producers do not participate
in local direct to consumer sales
of meats, according to a recently released report from the USDA Economic
Research Service.
The report
titled, “Slaughter and Processing Options and Issues for Locally Sourced
Meat” evaluated “the availability
of slaughter and processing facilities for local meat production and the extent
to which this may constrain or support growth in demand for locally sourced
meats.”
The
report found that while per capita meat consumption has been declining in the
U.S., beef produced in alternative systems (i.e. natural, certified organic,
grass-fed) has grown about 20 percent per year for several years. Sales of foods sold direct-to-consumer
have doubled in the past decade, yet, direct-to-consumer meat and poultry sales
have not kept similar pace.
The report
indicates a “chicken or egg” scenario, in which local markets need slaughter
plants to supply local meats and build demand, while steady, demand is
necessary to attract or keep small
processing companies. The report focused on small slaughter facilities
since larger plants do not
offer custom fee-for-service
slaughter.
According to the report, local, direct-to-consumer sales accounted for
just 0.4 percent of total agricultural sales in 2007. However, they accounted
for $1.2 billion in current-dollar sales in 2007, compared with $551 million in
1997, a growth rate of 118 percent.
The
report’s authors also note that slaughtering animals at smaller state-inspected
plants can limit marketing potential, since they are restricted to intra-state
commerce. As of June 2012, no states participate in the Cooperative Interstate
Shipment Program, which would allow shipments across State lines. Three States,
Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, are in various stages of development and
training to be eligible for the program.
The report
also discussed alternatives that small producers can consider when they cannot
access appropriate slaughter facilities.
Mobile slaughter units (MSUs) are small facilities than can be
transported to individual farms or collective gathering sites where farmers can
have their livestock processed in small quantities. Though faced with a different set of challenges, MSUs can
fill a role for small livestock growers who lack access to nearby or
appropriately sized slaughterhouses.
The report also suggests that farmers form cooperatives or aggregate
their livestock in order to meet larger facility requirements. Operating under a set of shared
production guidelines, these producers can provide a small- or mid-scale
processor with consistent steady business, as well as brand themselves for more
effective local or regional marketing.
The full
report is available online from USDA/ERS at http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ldpm-livestock,-dairy,-and-poultry-outlook/ldpm216-01.aspx
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