How Beef Checkoff Dollars Will Be Spent During Fiscal Year 2022
The Beef Promotion and Research Act and Order authorizes Beef Checkoff funds to only be spent in the following program areas: beef promotion, research, education, information and foreign-market development.
Each September, beef industry organizations present proposals – referred to as Authorization Requests, or “ARs” – to the Beef Promotion Operating Committee, comprised of members of the Cattlemen’s Beef
Board and the Federation of State Beef Councils, to request funding for year-long marketing, education and research projects in these program areas. The organizations approved for funding are referred to as Beef Checkoff contractors.
Currently, the Beef Checkoff has nine contractors and three subcontractors. The contractors and their programs and projects are approved within each of the program areas for the fiscal year 2022 (October 2021 to September 2022).
Industry Information
Strives for an accurate understanding of the beef industry and helps maintain a positive cattle-marketing climate.
NAMI
Builds discovery, access and confidence in veal and veal production. 2022 Funding: $74,210
NCBA
Communicates the message that real beef’s great taste and nutrition can’t be replicated, and addresses the myths around beef and beef production among various audiences. 2022 Funding: $2,473,820
NIAA
Supports the beef industry’s commitment to “One Health” – healthy humans, healthy animals – including the annual Antibiotics Symposium, which will focus on continued knowledge about responsible antibiotic use and the primary efforts aimed at combating antimicrobial resistance. 2022 Funding: $79,160
Consumer Information
Helps enhance beef’s image by sharing nutritional data and other positive messages with media, food editors, dietitians, physicians and others who influence consumers’ food knowledge.
AFBFA
Grows a scientifically-literate society through the beef-based STEM curriculum. Educators utilize STEM curriculum for their middle and high school students with plans for expansion into elementary classrooms this year. 2022 Funding: $926,000
MICA / NEBPI*
Builds beef consumption in highly populated Northeastern U.S. cities by working with restaurants and grocery store chains, marketing to specific consumer groups and garnering support from regional nutrition influencers. 2022 Funding: $494,760
NCBA
Increases consumer awareness of the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand campaign and positions beef as the number one protein with restaurants, culinary leaders, grocery stores and other markets through media relations. 2022 Funding: $6,234,020
Promotion
Includes advertising, merchandising and new product development as well as training and promotional partnerships with restaurants and supermarkets that stimulate sales of beef and veal products.
NAMI / NYBC*
Facilitates innovative approaches for consumers to access and purchase veal and enhances veal eating experiences by creating meal solutions that capitalize on taste, value and versatility. 2022 Funding: $356,230
NCBA
Connects directly with consumers to promote beef through the iconic Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. campaign. Through beef marketing and merchandising, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. educates and inspires consumers to purchase, prepare and enjoy beef. 2022 Funding: $9,202,600
Research
The foundation for virtually all Checkoff-funded programs, this category of Checkoff projects provides science by providing science related to beef nutrition, beef safety and pathogen resistance.
FMPRE
Conducts post-harvest beef safety and science-based research on processed beef’s nutritional and health benefits. 2022 Funding: $500,000
NCBA
Continues to examine beef’s role in a healthy diet to share with the scientific and nutrition community, improves beef’s unique taste attributes and develops new recipes. 2022 Funding: $8,100,000
USCA / KSU*
This research will tackle the important areas surrounding consumer beef perceptions by looking into beef enrichment with omega-3 fatty acids. 2022 Funding: $210,000
Producer Communications
Informs producers and importers about how their Checkoff dollars are invested through a variety of efforts and initiatives.
CBB
Executes the producer communications program to convey to producers how their Beef Checkoff investment drives demand for beef. Producers engage with The Drive publishing platform, social media and thought leaders to access transparent and factual information on the Checkoff program. 2022 Funding: $1,850,000
Foreign Marketing
Develops international markets for U.S. beef through programs aimed at expanding international market penetration, gaining new market access, and improving global consumer perceptions.
USMEF
Maximizes market access for U.S. beef around the globe, develops demand among new and existing buyers overseas, and increases value of the entire carcass through export support. 2022 Funding: $8,400,000
American TV icon Ed Sullivan used to boast that viewers were about to witness “a really big show!” Well, a really big show came to Denver September 9-10, and as always, the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) meeting, where the Beef Checkoff program funding decisions are made for the next fiscal year, didn’t disappoint.
Opponents of the Beef Checkoff have criticized the program for all sorts of things: being outdated, being unfair…even doing business behind closed doors. But anyone who follows the process or has attended a BPOC meeting knows nothing could be further from the truth.
Work conducted during the annual BPOC is the culmination of the beef industry’s entire year — the end result of hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours from producers and importers, thousands of miles traveled, and hours upon hours of painstaking study and spirited debate. This year, the 20-member committee heard from nine potential contractors, both big and small, pitching 15 Authorization Requests that encompassed more than 50 tactics. From Producer Communications, Promotion, and Research to Foreign Marketing, and Consumer and Industry Information, every one of the ideas was carefully crafted to carry out the Beef Checkoff’s primary mission: to drive demand for beef.
Some proposals promised creative outreach solutions; others looked at ways to keep beef at the center of the plate, both here and abroad; still others dove into nutrition, sustainability, antibiotics, and other leading-edge scientific waters. There was something for every interest. Discussions were long and often impassioned as committee members tirelessly debated, probed, and debated some more to ultimately whittle down the funding requests by more than $8 million to match the projected budget. It was fiscal responsibility and accountability in action — and in today’s crazy world, that’s something to be proud of.
So, when the dust settled, did everyone get everything they wanted? Did anyone get everything they wanted? No. The reality is, it was the Beef Checkoff process as producers intended 35 years ago: an exercise in innovation, compromise, and finding the best possible ways to leverage producers’ and importers’ Checkoff dollars. Like all Checkoff business, the doors were wide open, and producers and importers were welcome to observe the proceedings. For anyone who wasn’t able to attend, you can see how it all shook out on the CBB website.
In 1991, the Beef Checkoff funded the first National Beef Quality Audit to help identify beef safety issues and establish benchmarks for success. Thirty years later, the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has grown beyond expectations, providing beef producers the information and tools they need to incorporate safe and effective management practices. Today, approximately 85 percent of U.S. beef comes from BQA-certified producers.
To continue helping beef producers capture more value from their cattle and instill consumer confidence in the beef industry, the BQA program constantly evolves and updates its programs. Here are the exciting BQA updates from this year.
A core strategy in the 2021 – 2025 Beef Industry Long Range Plan (LRP) is growing consumer trust in beef production. According to the LRP, research shows an increased desire among all consumers to know more about where their food comes from and how it is produced. Education and documented verification programs, like the BQA program, will contribute to this strategy by increasing cattle producer participation and adoption of BQA principles while also educating the general public about its impact on animal well-being. As producers become BQA certified, they demonstrate an industry-wide commitment to best management practices, increasing the program’s credibility in consumers’ eyes.
“The more robust we can make BQA, the more validity it will have in the eyes of our consumers and alleviate concerns about animal care,” said Kim Brackett, chair of the LRP task force, chair of the BQA Advisory Group and Idaho cow-calf producer. “And what it all comes down to at the end of the day is consumer trust will increase demand for beef.”
To view the full Beef Industry Long Range Plan, Visit: BeefLongRangePlan.com
The U.S. calf-raising sector now has a program to help ensure optimal calf health and welfare via the Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program. CCQA is the first collaborative educational tool that provides guidelines for calf raisers. The CCQA program is a joint initiative led by BQA and the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, managed by the National Milk Producer’s Federation (NMPF) with support from the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, and the Beef Checkoff-funded Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) program. A reference manual sets the foundation for the CCQA program. In addition to the manual, the CCQA program will roll out producer-focused training modules that will certify producers in the principles of excellent calf care highlighted throughout the manual later in 2021.
BQA released the first in a series of Advanced Education Modules. The initial module focuses on biosecurity and the basics of disease transmission and prevention. These resources were developed so anyone who is involved in raising cattle has the opportunity to understand how biosecurity principles are integrated into their farm or ranch and plan for continuous improvement in the future. Interactive and real-world best practice examples are provided for a variety of topics, such as new bull or replacement purchases and manure management to reduce feed contamination, among others.
For more information about BQA, CCQA and the advanced education modules, visit: BQA.org
Jo Ann Smith of Wacahoota, Florida was presented with the Cattlemen’s Beef Board’s first-ever Beef Checkoff Visionary Award during the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention’s Opening General Session in Nashville, Tennessee. This honor recognizes an individual in the beef industry who has demonstrated exemplary support of and commitment to the Checkoff’s goals and vision.
“Jo Ann Smith has been a tireless advocate for the beef industry for decades,” said Hugh Sanburg, 2021 Chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB). “When national trends and fad diets tarnished beef’s image in the late 1970s and early 1980s, demand fell sharply. That’s when Jo Ann and other beef industry stakeholders worked diligently to win approval for a national Beef Checkoff program. Without Jo Ann’s efforts, the beef industry might look very different today.”
More than 40 years ago, as cattle prices were plummeting, a group of cattlemen and ranchers came to Smith, asking how the beef industry could help itself and address flagging consumer demand. The question, “What could we accomplish with a national checkoff?” came up during those discussions.
“As a group, we tried to put together a program that would pass so we would have a checkoff,” Smith said. “That was our ultimate goal. We needed enough money to pull together as an industry and get beef’s message out because new consumers are out there every day – and it’s our responsibility to educate them about why they should choose beef.”
In 1986, Smith became the first chair of the newly formed Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Thanks to the strong foundation that Smith and others established during those early days, Beef Checkoff programs have diligently communicated beef’s great taste, value and nutrition to consumers here in the U.S. and around the world for 35 years.
“Jo Ann’s tenacity, hard work and leadership turned the dream of a Beef Checkoff into reality,” said Greg Hanes, CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “She has truly been a trailblazer, and all of us in the beef industry are grateful for what she has accomplished – not just in her role with the CBB, but also with the many other local, state and national beef industry organizations she’s been involved with over the years. Truly, there’s no one more deserving of our first Checkoff Visionary Award.”