Although the other shoe — a recession — has not dropped in its aftermath, the pandemic’s impact is still unfolding in gravitational ways. How people behave, and how the industry adjusts to that behavior, is in flux.

Truth is, all of us are aging. And for many of us, the pandemic forced a reckoning with life-work imbalances, too. Ultimately, we place a higher priority on how we spend our time.

And that has implications for the definitions of “efficiency” and “value” in a farm-to-fork supply chain that is lean on labor.

Value to the consumer is not just a matter of stretching their dollar; it’s a matter of saving them time and ensuring their time was also worth spending. They aren’t going to spend money in a “value” restaurant or on a “value” steak if that transaction proves to be a waste of time. They seek quality; they need a reason to leave the comfort of their homes.

Outlets serving those consumers, such as foodservice operations, must focus more and more on elevating the customer experience. Those operators’ time is better spent helping and interacting with customers than, say, trimming the fat off and portioning meat cuts in the back of house. Beyond lacking time, they don’t have the people or skills for that, either.

In the current environment, processors are primed to fill a void. But with choosier end consumers and customers trying desperately to please them, it’s not an easy one to fill. Competition for new business in consolidating channels is fierce, and processors need to identify and accentuate their points of differentiation to survive.

Internally, with staffing lean, that labor better be skilled and applied to the company’s strengths — making the best use of time on the floor. Externally, processors must also be selective, particularly in choosing gainful business partners with complementary values and goals. They must use their best tools — from sharp knives to incisive data — to solve problems and build long-term relationships.

The term “post-pandemic” notwithstanding, it’s still tough out there. Meat processors continue to reduce their production and staffing to better align with ongoing supply-and-demand shifts. Since early August 2023 alone, companies the likes of Smithfield, Cargill, Perdue, Olymel, Strauss Brands, and West Liberty foods have announced significant facility closures and layoffs.

And those employees who remain? They need a reason to leave the comfort of their homes, too. They also increasingly require a return on their investment of time, and that goes beyond a paycheck. They increasingly seek fulfillment in the form of personal and professional growth, in a nurturing work “family.” They seek a future, one with fiscal and physical health.

The business world may have become a touch less personal amidst the pandemic. Concern around illness sent people home. Isolation, to a certain extent, was then made comfortable, particularly with the acceleration of technology more readily availing remote, digital interactions.

But for those involving meat, from the people cutting it to those serving it to those eating it, it is tactile and personal. Make those experiences — the time spent — count.

The article was published as the Editorial in the March magazine issue of Meatingplace.

A matter of time

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