WASHINGTON, DC – The Meat Institute’s third annual continuous improvement report released today (Wednesday) at the Protein PACT Summit demonstrates progress on ambitious sustainability goals and provides updates on tools and partnerships accelerating achievement throughout the supply chain.

The report reflects data from companies representing the majority of meat sold in the United States. 83% of the Meat Institute’s largest member companies (more than 2000 employees) submitted data, and 77% of the Meat Institute’s full Board membership submitted data, or are sponsoring the Protein PACT. In addition, the Meat Institute's metrics and goals align closely with on-farm efforts in beef, pork, poultry and feed to drive supply chain-wide sustainability.

Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts commented:

“The Meat Institute has invested considerable resources in benchmarking performance, identifying gaps, implementing concrete actions, and demonstrating progress toward our Protein PACT vision. This year we are spotlighting tools and partnerships that support further achievement and catalyze supply chain collaboration to align sourcing and production practices with consumers’ values and expectations - like our initiative to enroll Meat Institute members in emissions measurement, disclosure, and abatement training.”

The Meat Institute’s enrollment of members in emissions measurement, disclosure, and abatement training is made possible through a partnership with Suppliers Leading on Climate Transition (Supplier LOCT) and builds on the release last year of a practical tool to help meat companies conduct emissions surveys, the first critical step in the path to setting science-based targets.

To date, 26 Meat Institute members have publicly committed to and/or set targets through the Science Based Targets initiative. So far 40 member companies have participated in Supplier LOCT training, a majority of which were supported by the Meat Institute’s partnership.

The Meat Institute’s full 2024 continuous improvement report is available here, and a summary infographic is available here.

About Meat Institute

The Meat Institute is the United States’ oldest and largest trade association representing packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal, turkey, and processed meat products. Meat Institute members include over 350 meat packing and processing companies, the majority of which have fewer than 100 employees, and account for over 95 percent of the United States’ output of meat and 70 percent of turkey production. To learn more, visit MeatInstitute.org.

About the Protein PACT

The Protein PACT unites partners across animal protein to accelerate the entire sector’s progress toward global sustainable development goals for healthy people, healthy animals, healthy communities, and a healthy environment. Protein PACT partners are establishing transparent baselines and benchmarks, setting ambitious targets for continuous improvement, collecting data to verify and transparently report on progress, and launching comprehensive communications about animal protein’s unique place in healthy diets and sustainable food systems. To learn more, visit www.TheProteinPACT.org