How can the National Pork Board’s newly approved strategic plan help you?
“Ultimately, we want to make sure the producers’ hard-earned dollars are being spent on their priorities. By going through a strategic planning process, it gets us focused on not only some of the near-term things, but also over the next several years,” says Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board.
The process started in July 2024 and a task force was established in the fall of 2024. The board of directors encouraged them to “go out and be bold.” After months of asking questions, listening to experts from all facets of the supply chain and visiting with state executives, the task force met again in January 2025 to start building the plan.
“It is a very, very focused strategic plan,” says Alayne Johnson, an Indiana pig farmer and NPB board member who served as the committee chair. “We are trying to challenge ourselves to pick out those projects, programs and initiatives that will really move the industry forward. And, at the end of the day, make us all a little more profitable.”
She says it was critical for the task force to access opinions up and down the value chain.
“If we can understand where everyone is coming from a little bit better, we will all make better decisions to spend those Checkoff dollars in the ways that they’re needed and help raise the tide,” Johnson says. “I think we could all agree that that’s what we want – more productivity and better profitability across the industry.”
Even says two of the key messages that surfaced during the process are to be bold and improve demand.
“We do some good work, but we need to be bold and willing to try and do new things,” Even says. “The industry is changing. We want to make sure producers recognize that we’re in there alongside them.”
Improving demand is always on producers’ minds. In addition to the new “Taste What Pork Can Do” campaign for consumers launching in May, Even says the National Pork Board is also focused on product innovation to help improve demand.
“Our role as a producer organization is to help supply insights data into the supply chain, to ensure that we are encouraging and helping drive innovation on the product side with the entire supply chain,” Even says. “The packers and processors have their own test kitchens and innovation teams. We acknowledge and recognize that. But what can we bring to the table with our massive new consumer segmentation work that can be helpful and spur ideation around new products?”
During the board of directors meeting before the National Pork Industry Forum, the task force presented the strategic plan. After gaining board approval, members of the task force unveiled the framework to the delegates at Pork Forum. Here are the three goals of the National Pork Board’s newly adopted strategic plan.
1. Drive and increase the long-term value of pork.
Success definition: More people choose pork.
Strategic initiative: Advance pork’s position, presence and consumer appeal.
Promote pork in the marketplace globally and reposition pork to become more relevant to more Americans.
2. State pork associations and their producers are better able to anticipate and adapt to continuous change.
Success definition: The U.S. pork industry works together to identify opportunities and tackle challenges.
Strategic initiative: Strengthen state and national organization relationships.
Foster stronger partnerships between state and national organizations.
3. Improve the lives of our pigs and our people.
Success definition: The U.S. has a measurably healthier swine herd.
Strategic initiative: Leverage swine health research into action.
Develop a collaborative producer-led national swine health strategy for the U.S.
This is just the beginning, Johnson says. She is excited to see how the National Pork Board staff will continue to develop the plan and put it into action to help pork producers across the country.
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