2021 Stakeholder Report
Collaborating to Build Trust and Add Value
Our 2021 stakeholder report highlights the collaborative efforts of producer leaders, the board of directors, partner organizations and NPB staff.
National Pork Board 2021 Highlights
The following highlights summarize the National Pork Board’s work in 2021.
- 8 producer-led task forces directed work in 4 priority areas1
- 70 producers representing 21 states participated in task forces
- 71 producers participated in industry working groups1
- 22 state association boards of directors provided input into the Checkoff’s annual planning process1
- 14 producers served on the Swine Health Information Center and U.S. Pork Center of Excellence boards of directors1
- 16 producers from 11 states participated in Pork Leadership Institute1
- 60,000+ pig farmers in the US2
- 550,000 people employed in the US pork industry3
Sources:
1 Pork Checkoff
2 NASS 2017 Census of Agriculture
3 National Pork Producers Council. Pork Facts. January 2022
Real Pork – The Industry’s Trust and Image Brand
Emmy Award-winning actor Eric Stonestreet, a Kansas native and former pig farmer, helped NPB launch the Real Pork Mythbusting campaign. In a series of five videos and digital content, Stonestreet (re)defines common pig-related idioms and phrases to dispel misconceptions about modern pork production.
As a result, 48%-54% of consumers surveyed are more favorable about the pork industry after viewing campaign content.
Source: 1. Pork Checkoff-funded Barriers Tracking Research, Consumer Online Poll, conducted by PSB, September 2021
Bringing America What’s Real
Real Pork is the industry’s trust and image brand differentiating us from the alternatives. It’s the identity for the industry, from farm to fork, that celebrates everything authentic about pork.
More than half of producers rank pork promotion and telling the industry’s story as extremely important to the future success of the pork industry.1 Coupled with Checkoff-funded consumer insights showing nearly 40% of consumers want to know more about where their meat comes from,2 NPB leveraged Real Pork to increase consumer confidence in pork, and help protect producers’ freedom to operate.
Sources:
1. National Pork Board Annual Producer Survey, 2020
2. Pork Checkoff “At Home Meat Tracker,” Q2 2020
Elevating the Pork Industry’s We Care Commitment
In 2021, NPB created and made accessible to producers On-Farm Sustainability Reports, a tool to measure, document and benchmark their farms’ key sustainability metrics.
The blinded, aggregate data will be used at state and national levels to demonstrate the positive impacts producers are making in each We Care® Ethical Principle area.
We Care has set the foundation for the pork industry and individual farms to measure its sustainability efforts and demonstrate the industry’s commitment to continuous improvement. NPB is working with producers to measure and document these efforts with On-Farm Sustainability Reports.
A Step Forward for People, Pigs and the Planet
“Continuous improvement in sustainability is something all producers can explore. With the future of farming being in technology like biodigesters, we can capture greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to make our farms completely carbon neutral and generate energy to power entire pig operations.”
Marlowe Ivey, Pork Producer & Executive Director, Feed the Dialogue, Goldsboro, North Carolina
On-Farm Sustainability Reports
Over 120 farms, 170,000 acres, representing more than 1.5 million pigs*, are currently
in the program and providing on-farm data across environmental, social and
economic sustainability indicators.
* as of Feb. 1, 2022
Foreign Animal Disease Prevention and Preparedness
Foreign animal disease (FAD) prevention and preparedness continue to be the top priority for producers’ Checkoff investment.1
NPB worked collaboratively with the following organizations to prepare for and prevent ASF and other FADs from reaching domestic swine herds.
- American Association of Swine Veterinarians
- National Pork Producers Council
- Swine Health Information Center
- North American Meat Institute
- USDA
Source:
1. Pork Producer Survey, December 2020, Q7, 362 survey takers
Resources & Research
NPB Worked to Address Key Needs Throughout 2021
- Invested more than $930,000 of Checkoff dollars to support ASF vaccine development.
- Provided $493,000 of Checkoff dollars in swine disease research, including a project to determine survival and transmission of ASF in manure.
- Supported USDA ASF prevention outreach in Puerto Rico with Checkoff-funded Spanish resources.
- Developed the Certified Swine Sample Collector training program in conjunction with industry professionals and USDA.
- And more.
Building a Business Case for Ground Pork
NPB used proprietary insights to develop test and learn projects to prove the growth potential for ground pork and position it for long-term success in grocery stores.
Following two years of record sales (20% in 20201 and an additional 1.2%2 in 2021), Checkoff-funded research determined adding additional ground pork items per store could increase sales.3
Sources:
1. IRI, Integrated Fresh, MULO, 52 weeks ending 11/28/21
2. IRI, Integrated Fresh, MULO, 52 weeks ending 12/27/20
3. IRI Innovation Opportunity Study
Value of U.S. Pork Exported
Total U.S. pork exports in 2021 to other markets were valued at $8.1 billion. That equates to 6.4 billion pounds (product weight).
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
International Market Development
U.S. pork exports have grown significantly since 2010 – rising more than 50% in volume and 60% in value.1
This increase has historically been attributed to the price, consistency and safety of the U.S. pork supply. Producers continue to prioritize Checkoff investment in strengthening the position of U.S. pork globally.
Source:
1. U.S. Meat Export Federation and USDA-FAS data compiled by U.S. Meat Export Federation
2021 Top U.S. Pork Export Markets by Value
Source: USMEF and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
2021 Top U.S. Pork Export Markets by Volume
Source: USMEF and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
