USMEF Members Identify Key Items in Long-Range Planning Session

Published: Nov 11, 2004

The long-term implications of market access, consistent trade policy, competitive advantages and funding were key items identified by U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) members during the federation’s Board of Directors Strategic Planning and Marketing Conference Nov. 3-5 in Albuquerque, N.M.

These and other issues were raised during a strategic long-range planning session led by Dave Coronna, Executive Vice-President and Directory of Strategy for the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller during the group’s business session. He asked members to identify long-term issues affecting the meat industry and the role USMEF should take to resolve or control those issues. Members identified four key areas:

Market access and eliminating trade barriers. Eliminating trade barriers is a cumbersome, lengthy and costly process due to the politics involved.
Finding and developing U.S. competitive advantages. This includes food safety and consumer attitudes regarding U.S. products.
Consistency in U.S. trade policy to address access and nontariff issues while also having negotiators who understand meat science and market issues involved in setting trade policy in addition to politicians.
Securing funding and maintaining human resources. Essential for USMEF to continue helping the meat industry accomplish its export goals. With the future of checkoff funding unknown, some members suggested looking into the private sector to secure funds

Members also noted the challenge for USMEF will be to shift resources so all priority issues are addressed without losing focus on market development.

USMEF developed its current long range plan in 1999 after an extensive review of its operations. The plan has been reviewed annually by the USMEF Executive Committee annually and a major revision was completed two years ago.

The USMEF Executive Committee now will consider comments from this strategic discussion before making revisions that are to be presented at the next Board of Directors meeting in May.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –