On the second episode of The PORK Podcast, host Jennifer Shike welcomes Bryan Humphreys, CEO of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), to share the story behind the story.
Humphreys grew up on an Iowa pig farm, but he knew as one of three boys, returning to the farm would not be an option. He graduated from Iowa State with a degree in political science, and worked on several local and national campaigns, before finding his way to the policy side with NPPC and Ohio Pork Council. He began his current role at NPPC in December 2021.
“It has been 100 miles an hour ever since, but it’s been a fun ride so far,” he says of being CEO.
One thing he’s learned: There’s never a shortage of issues and opportunities for the U.S. pork industry.
“I don’t know that we can do a podcast or a discussion or an interview of any kind in 2024 and not talk about the impact of the farm bill,” he says. “That is a big issue for us, not only because of all of our asks included in there around disease prevention and preparedness, but also obviously the solution to Proposition 12 and the continuation of a patchwork of legislative and regulatory hurdles for producers if we don’t find a solution.”
Humphreys is quick to mention NPPC isn’t afraid to tackle the big issues affecting the pork industry.
“NPPC doesn’t get involved in something when it’s sunshine and rainbows and everything is going swimmingly,” Humphreys points out. “We get involved when it’s tough. And with that, you have to have a certain amount of optimism that, yeah, it’s tough, but we’re going to get through it.”
While Humphreys admits there are big issues facing the industry, there have been some big wins lately too, including being present at United Nations discussions regarding antibiotic use in livestock production. By having a seat at the table, NPPC made clear the detrimental impact of a UN resolution to decrease antibiotic use in livestock by 30% to 33%.
“At the end of that conversation, the UN General Assembly came out and said, ‘We want to work with the industry to continue to work on antibiotic stewardship and ensure that farms are continuing to work with their veterinarians through a VCPR,’ and those are things we’re already doing,” he says.
Other topics of note on the second episode of the PORK podcast include how NPPC:
- Engages with producers to understand their on-farm challenges and priorities.
- Maintains strong relationships with legislators, regulators and other stakeholders to stay informed and advocate for the industry.
- Develops the next generation of industry leaders through the NPPC/Pork Board Immersion Program.
To hear more of the conversation, The PORK Podcast is available to watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast channels — iTunes, Spotify.
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