The Global Dairy Market Unpacked: Pricing, Production & Trade Trends

The dairy sector remains a cornerstone of the agricultural economies in the United States and the European Union. These regions make up 44.7% of global dairy milk production, dairy exports, and innovation in value-added products.

In 2024, the dairy market faced a series of complex challenges that tested its resilience and adaptability. Geopolitical tensions, climate-related disruptions, evolving trade policies, disease outbreaks, and shifting consumer preferences placed pressure on producers and processors alike. Additionally, inflation and global supply chain disruptions impacted trade flows and pricing stability...

Powering Pork’s Future: New Three-Year Strategic Plan Charts the Path Forward

NPB’s Board of Directors has approved a new three-year strategic plan—part of a broader roadmap that will guide us through 2028. The strategic plan was presented to the board by the task force during the March 2025 Pork Industry Forum.

Kicking off in August 2024, the strategic planning process brought in insights from a wide range of producers and industry stakeholders. The result? A strategy that keeps producers’ priorities front and center—ensuring every hard-earned dollar...

Pasturebird Petitions USDA to Update Definition of  “Pasture-Raised” Poultry 

Pasturebird, the world’s largest pasture-raised chicken brand, is setting a new standard for transparency and animal welfare after successfully petitioning to update the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) definition of “pasture-raised” meat and poultry. After years of advocating for a clear and common-sense definition, Pasturebird and Perdue Farms helped shoppers distinguish “free range” from “pasture-raised” chicken. The new animal raising labeling guidelines require that “pasture-raised” animals must be on pasture the majority of their life...

Statement from Smithfield Foods

Smithfield is pleased to announce that on October 24, 2024, FACTA, LLC, a third-party animal welfare assurance, certification, and training organization, which is accredited as a certifying agent by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to perform audits under the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative (Prop 12), recertified that farms 42104, 42105, 42106, 42107, and 42108, operated by Smithfield’s subsidiary Murphy-Brown LLC in Cedar City, Utah, were in compliance with CDFA’s Animal Confinement Regulations. And previously, on April 8, 2024, FACTA, LLC certified that farms 42100, 42101...

The Shift to Cage-Free Egg Production in the EU

The European Cage-Free Egg Commitment marks a transformative era in animal welfare and corporate responsibility within the food industry. This movement, fuelled by rising consumer demand for ethical practices and advocacy from animal rights organizations, is redefining egg production across Europe. Leading retailers, producers, and food service providers have pledged to eliminate caged systems, setting a new standard for sustainability and ethical agriculture.

The European Union has achieved substantial milestones in the transition to cage-free egg production, with over 50% of laying hens...

Progress in Poultry Welfare: Examining the European Chicken Commitment

The European Union (EU) has taken significant steps toward improving animal welfare in poultry farming through landmark initiative: the European Chicken Commitment (ECC). The initiative reflects a growing recognition of ethical, environmental, and consumer concerns tied to modern farming practices.

The European Chicken Commitment (ECC) is a comprehensive, science-based welfare policy with six key points aimed at improving the lives of chickens raised for meat. It addresses critical issues, including the consequences of breeding for fast growth and high yield, housing conditions, stocking density, and the process...

USDA Builds on Actions to Protect Livestock and Public Health From H5N1 Avian Influenza

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is planning to enhance national surveillance of H5N1 on dairy farms, building on measures taken by USDA since the beginning of the avian influenza outbreak. In partnership with state veterinarians, USDA will implement a tiered strategy to collect milk samples to better assess where H5N1 is present on U.S. dairy farms, with the goal to better inform biosecurity and containment measures, as well as to inform state-led efforts to reduce...

Nellie’s Free Range Unveils a New Campaign Aimed at Educating Misinformed Consumers

Nellie's Free Range, the #1 free-range brand in the U.S. and part of the Pete & Gerry’s family, today unveiled its new brand campaign, "Life’s Better Out Here," highlighting the company’s commitment to the highest standards of animal welfare, and educating consumers on the critical differences between cage-free and free-range eggs.

The campaign features children, fueled by Nellie’s eggs, who are permitted to let their bodies (and imaginations) run free outdoors, drawing a parallel to how the brand believes hens should live. The spots...