More Meat, Please
After remaining fairly steady from 2008 to 2014, total U.S. meat production began to sharply increase in 2015—and consumers have responded by increasing annual meat consumption by 20 lb. in recent years. Cheaper feed and growing domestic and international demand have factored into growth. With relatively stable feed costs projected for the next couple of years, meat supplies will continue to increase faster than the rate of population growth in the U.S. through 2018, according to the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute.