National Good Food Network Webinar
Economics of Regional Meat:
Roadblocks and Solutions
Thursday, February 17
3:30 - 4:45pm ET
A truly regional food system includes proteins, and for many that means meat.
What are the roadblocks to regional meat? Is the economics of meat very different from produce? Where should one concentrate their efforts to most effectively pave the way towards regional meat?
As the Wallace Center project
“Charting Growth: Sustainable Food Indicators” reports, the concentration of the meat industry is staggering (e.g. in 2007 the 4 top beef packers controlled over 80% of the market). Those looking to build a sustainable regional food system must understand the tremendous economic forces that lead to this situation to succeed in their goal. This webinar is designed for attendees of all knowledge levels to increase the effectiveness of their regional efforts.
The webinar will begin with a brief
picture of the meat business across the country to set the context for its impacts on a regional level. Then our presenters from the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) in New York will identify
a few specific, strategic barriers to Northeast regional meat production,
and their programs, systems and ideas on how to alleviate these barriers. Topics in this section will include:
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infrastructure (slaughterhouses)
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HACCP requirements
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educational resources for producers
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seasonality of beef production
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the required skill sets for sustainable processing.
For our more experienced attendees, our presenters will then present a
detailed, nuts and bolts focus on slaughterhouses and the culture of beef production. Finally our presenters will address your specific questions.
Though the presentation will focus on the Northeast, we believe that whatever region you work in, you will come away with valuable, pertinent knowledge from this dynamic webinar.
