At the annual CattleCon event earlier this year in San Antonio, one of the more well-attended sessions was the Checkoff Highlights. Representatives from different organizations talk about where the $1/head fee producers pay is utilized.

U.S. Meat Export Federation

A nonprofit organization that’s been around since 1976, the USMEF has a mission to “increase the value and profit opportunities for the U.S. beef, pork and lamb industries by enhancing demand in export markets through a coordinated and collaborative partnership of all stakeholders.” According to their website, USMEF is “Putting U.S. Meat on the World’s Table.”

They noted that consumers can find American-raised beef in 80 countries around the world. And it’s a lot of different meat too.

Variety meats are “a big bonus for exports,” USMEF said. “We’re not sending all our ribeyes abroad.” Parts like tongues, brains, sweetbreads, hearts and livers are among the edible organs and glands commonly called variety meats, and being able to sell them adds about $45 of profit per head.

Looking at beef and variety meat exports, Korea was our number one market in 2024, bringing U.S. producers $2 billion. China was number two and Japan, which the USMEF called “a very exciting market,” was number three.

“We’re exporting about 88 pounds per head,” the rep from USMEF said. “We’ve done so much with innovation, and we’re trying to diversify our markets. We’ve accomplished this through your checkoff dollars.”

That diversification seems to be working – exports were up 243% between 2013 and 2023 to Central America and the Dominican Republic; up 323% to Colombia; and up 107% to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The next objective is developing the supply chain in Africa. There are 1.6 billion people living on that continent, and their average age is just 17. That represents “huge potential,” according to USMEF. They are utilizing the Emerging Markets Program from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to conduct expansive market research in West Africa.

Product sampling there will be key – “tasting is believing.” The 30 biggest buyers in Africa came together in Accra, Ghana, for a trade mission in April, since building relationships with them is key.

USMEF also said exports to Mexico “have been on fire the last few years,” noting the Costco chain in Mexico only carries U.S. beef and pork.

“We’re not the cheapest but we’re the gold standard for quality,” they concluded. Their export data clearly illustrated that.

American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

The AFB Foundation for Ag, which aims to “engage students and educators in agricultural education through captivating learning experiences, books and hands-on challenges,” discussed what they’ve been doing in high school science classrooms.

There are currently more than 16.6 million students in grades 9 – 12, and this is the next generation of consumers the ag industry needs to engage with. AFB Foundation for Ag is doing so by connecting STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) with beef science resources, such as “Unraveling Genetics to Raise the Steaks,” a highly-rated classroom unit.

Checkoff dollars will continue to provide for teacher training as well as the On the Farm STEM Experience, which has proven success with eliminating negative perceptions of the industry and with sharing information. Learn more about it at onthefarmstem.com.

The foundation is also developing the Beef Impact Network to unite On the Farm STEM alumni. A group of 15 influential education professionals got together at the National Conference on Science Education back in November, and the network continues to grow.

They’re also working with the Food & Agriculture Center for Science Education (found at foodagscied.org) to continue teaching the next generation of consumers how agriculture works and why it matters.

Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative

Kaitlyn Swope, director of marketing for NEBPI, started by sharing the new mission for the organization, which stretches from Maine to Virginia.

The NEBPI extends nationally developed checkoff messaging and content in a heavily populated region – with around 77 million consumers – where people outnumber cattle 16-to-1. Their diverse programming efforts strategically focus on how to leverage meaningful relationships with these audiences to foster trust in beef’s nutrition profile, production practices, sustainability goals and more to ultimately build beef demand.

NEBPI reaches out to general consumers, nutrition and health professionals and the foodservice industry with a year-round approach vs. one-time sponsorships. Swope detailed the three tactics they’re focusing on:

  • Engaging Influential Nutrition & Health Professionals to Impact Consumer Trust – NEBPI hosted a pasture-to-plate nutrition influencer event with eight registered dietitians from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Virginia. Together, they discussed retail opportunities, sports nutrition, culinary topics, private practice medicine, corporate wellness and sharing information through writing and media.

“These are authentic relationships growing over time,” Swope said.

  • Positioning Beef as the Protein of Choice Among Northeast Consumers – This was demonstrated with Beef & Veal Day on the Culinary Connection Stage on the opening day of the PA Farm Show in January. It provided an opportunity to work with local chefs to showcase beef and veal recipes with consumer attendees during cooking demos and samplings. As the PA Farm Show attracts about 500,000 mostly non-ag, urban visitors throughout its eight-day run, this single event had a sizable impact.

There is also the Beef & Veal in the Culinary Classroom Program, in which students receive practical training with beef and veal, explore industry trends, meat cuts and skills to share as future foodservice leaders. Fifteen grants were awarded to culinary programs across seven states (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine), with an anticipated culinary student reach of 772.

  • Aligning with Athletics to Capitalize on the Multiple Advantages of Beef – “We have a great partnership with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association,” Swope said. It included a “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.” presence at seven state championship events with nearly 8,000 student-athletes, 105,000 event attendees and 972 high schools and colleges. There was even a tailgating contest at the state’s cross country championships.

Learn more about their goals by visiting NEBPI.org.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is funded by checkoff dollars and hosts a large annual event for producers from around the world. Photo by Courtney Llewellyn

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

The NCBA organizes CattleCon each year (and it will be in Nashville in 2026). They note that they have a foundation of research upon which to build everything else that they do.

A large portion of their research focuses on consumer insights – what demographics are buying what cuts of beef, where they’re buying it and, perhaps most importantly, why they’re buying beef. Consider consumers’ value in the eating experience of beef, how the protein can be versatile and how it can be convenient.

NCBA’s market research has five main objectives:

  • Track and observe consumer trends on all things related to food and beef
  • Explore high priority topics to understand consumer sentiment and knowledge levels
  • Monitor supply chain impacts on the industry
  • Develop strategic initiatives based on consumer insights to continue to improve beef consumption and perceptions
  • Understand how campaign specific content and messaging resonates with consumers

Those in the beef industry can find their work at any time by visiting beefresearch.org/programs/market-research.

Ultimately, the NCBA is working on “a surround sound approach to reach consumers.”