By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

A new five-year plan was released in July to guide the beef sector through 2030, focusing on sustainability, innovation and long-term viability in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

The Beef Industry Long Range Plan Task Force built the plan on industry input and stakeholder consensus.

The task force was comprised of leaders representing key segments, including cow-calf, seedstock, cattle feeding, dairy, animal health and livestock markets.

“We put this group together so that it’s all encompassing for the whole United States, as well as all the different parts of the industry,” Ryan Moorhouse, chair of the Cattleman’s Beef Board and general manager for Hartley Feeders, told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.

They studied and compiled major areas of opportunity for beef over the next five years and then developed six beef industry goals as part of the Beef Industry Long Range Plan.

“The industry saw a need for a plan years ago and decided to come up with a five-year long-range plan that they can follow as a roadmap,” Moorhouse said. “That helps align all our goals and objectives to focus on for the next five years so that we stay on track and do the right things for the beef industry.”

The mission of the plan is to ensure that the U.S. beef industry provides sustainable high-quality beef that meets consumer demands, not only in Texas and the U.S., but worldwide.

The 2026-2030 plan identifies six interconnected goals that represent what the industry wants to achieve, including policy and supply chain viability; sustainable industry outcomes; public engagement and building confidence; innovation, science, research and continuous improvement; stakeholder engagement; and animal health and food safety.

Each goal is paired with a broad approach to achieving it and a definition of success. The goals are supported by actionable initiatives and are organized to drive alignment and accountability across all areas of the supply chain.

The beef checkoff and its contracting organizations use pieces of the plan as their guidebook for the coming years.

“This long-range plan is so that we can look to the future and make sure what we’re doing now works in the future, whether it be for us or for our kids, and so that we can be viable in the future,” Moorhouse said.

Since 1995, industry leaders have gathered to develop an aligned, comprehensive plan with the goal of increasing consumer demand for beef. These leaders are brought together to study and compile major areas of opportunity facing beef over the next five years.

View the Beef Industry Long Range Plan.