2021 YFSS Panel 1: Building Resilient Meat Supply Chains

Building resilient meat supply chains: wellbeing for workers, rural economies, animals, and the environment

Deregulation, consolidation, and climate change threaten American animal agriculture. Meat production in the United States has consolidated rapidly — a few large companies control massive feedlots and meatpacking plants. As these companies compete with emerging economies like China and Brazil for profits, producers, workers, and the environment are paying the price. Deregulation of worker safety standards have contributed to massive COVID-19-outbreaks among meatpacking workers. The industry has become increasingly deregulated as plant inspections are privatized, increasing food safety concerns. Ranchlands are at risk of being converted to row crops or housing developments, and ranchers are losing their farms because market forces and climate change are making bad years more frequent. Our panelists will consider what American agriculture can do to re-imagine an industry that is good for the worker, rural economies, animals, and the planet.

Registration and full symposium information at
https://yaleconnect.yale.edu/rsvp?id=907335