This blog is not about the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol building. It's related, somewhat, because these days everything is related to it. But the political drama in Washington is but one ingredient in the hot mess that is our economy, our politics and our public health in 2021.

There is no shortage of spice in this stew, but there's already plenty of other pressing topics on the meat industry's plate. The companies that will prevail in the long run are those who float above this bubbling stew.

In seven days the country will have a new President and a new administration — and USDA will have an old captain at the helm. As much of a throwback as Tom Vilsack is in the position, he does not return to an agency or an ag industry that is the same as the one he left four years ago. His challenges, and the meat industry's, are as new as the new year.

Four years ago, of course, the idea of a deadly global pandemic was the stuff of dystopian science fiction and Netflix movies. In returning to USDA in 2021, Vilsack jumps into the deep end of a roiling pool that the meat industry has been navigating for almost a year now.

Take trade, for instance. The assumption that the freer the trade, the better for everybody that

seemed to prevail the last time Vilsack was in office is gone. It's been a rocky four years where ag trade is concerned, including for the meat industry. Sure, U.S. meat exports did hit record levels in October and November, but the overall payoff from Trump's trade policies have fallen short of his rosiest early predictions.

At the same time, multilateral trade pacts have been signed that exclude the United States, and the long term implications of that are just beginning to take shape. For example, Canada and Australia are for now in a better position than the U.S. to solidify trade relationships in Asia.

Some jockeying for position also will be required as relates to the alt-meat industry, which has grown up since 2016. Meat companies and the USDA are up to their ears in efforts to either defend market share for conventional meat products or get a piece of the alt-meat sales juggernaut, to regulate the science and simultaneously encourage innovation. For the alt-meat and conventional meat industries both, the years ahead will lay the foundation for industry dynamics for a generation.

Other considerations also are heading to the front of the line, such as climate change. After a four-year pause in the conversation, the Biden administration has made it a clear priority, and that has implications for every link in the animal ag supply chain. And while the regulatory agencies, such as OSHA, has sent confusing messages about priorities and enforcement throughout the pandemic, expect those agencies to get a surge of investment, particularly on the side of enforcement.

Time will tell what the ultimate outcomes will be from the riot on Jan. 6 in D.C. But ultimately that's a sideshow. The main event for the meat industry is those issues that will be in the headlines and affect the bottom lines for the next four years: Trade. Alt-proteins. Pandemic. Climate change. A revitalized regulatory system.

The players who will come out on top of these turbulent times will be those who keep their attention on the big issues. Look past, over, beyond to where you, your company and your industry want to be in five, 10 years. I promise the Capitol Building will still be there.

Seven days

Join for free* to continue reading.