2023 CEO Retrospective
Our best days ahead are part of the journey By Bryan Humphreys
As we look to the year ahead and the issues we face, it is clear the journey will not be without challenges for all of agriculture. We must accept that the attacks on our industry are not diminishing — they are multiplying.
We once felt safe in our communities because local leaders understood agriculture. Domestically, the belief that common sense prevails in the legislature and among regulatory agencies is now challenged at every level. On the international front, we continue to run into nonscientific trade barriers and obstacles.
But our ability to navigate through adversity is what has always propelled pork producers and serves as a catalyst for growth and optimism.
The pork industry did not emerge from 2023 unscathed, but the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) came away with important policy wins:
NPPC prevented the enforcement of transshipment provisions under Massachusetts Question 3 and initiated new rulemaking to rescind these provisions entirely.
NPPC led a coalition of over 50 agricultural and other organizations in endorsing the reintroduction of the Beagle Brigade Act, which unanimously passed in the House Committee on Agriculture.
NPPC facilitated Section 32 purchases, which authorized USDA support for prices of commodities in surplus through purchases and domestic distribution.
In support of Sackett v. EPA, NPPC coordinated and led a coalition of agricultural stakeholders, resulting in a court briefing that decisively redefined the Waters of the United States.
NPPC helped secure Malaysia approval for exporting pork and products from several U.S. establishments.
The Supreme Court’s decision on California Proposition 12 will send shock waves well beyond agriculture now that the court has allowed a state to use its market power to impose policies on other states. With higher costs and fewer choices, every American will be impacted by this decision so it’s incumbent on NPPC to find a solution that prohibits this overreach.
The pork industry is filled with dedicated, smart, hardworking individuals and families that want to pass their farms on to the next generation. It’s that unity that drives the efforts of NPPC to speak up every day on behalf of all pork producers. Unity of a common cause. Unity in the recognition that we are stronger together. Unity to stand together against the forces that challenge us.
We recognize that there is more that brings us together than separates us. NPPC will continue to amplify producers’ voices in 2024 and beyond, addressing challenges along our journey with the belief that the best days lie ahead.
To learn more about NPPC’s policy priorities or to get involved, visit NPPC.org.
Humphreys serves as the CEO of the National Pork Producers Council.
