The Cattlemen’s Beef Board is intensifying its efforts to boost the industry’s bottom line by expanding international markets and investing in urban education.
Through partnerships with the U.S. Meat Export Federation, the Beef Checkoff is successfully marketing “the whole animal” by identifying international culinary needs that differ from domestic trends. A recent $7.9 million investment has allowed USMEF to promote products like tripe and tongue in Mexico, and a nutrient-dense “liver burger” in Peru to combat iron deficiency.
“Across the world, there are some of the parts of a beef animal that we don’t eat as much in the U.S.,” says Cheryl DeVuyst, Vice Chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “It is helping with the health and nutrition of the people in Peru, but then it’s increasing the bottom line for our producers because that’s selling product that we don’t really eat as much of here.”
Domestically, the board is pivoting toward the future of consumer behavior. The Beef Promotion Operating Committee has prioritized education for 2026, specifically targeting urban science classrooms. By bringing teachers to ranches and providing curriculum modules, the program aims to teach genetics and sustainability through the lens of cattle production.
The initiative also seeks to ground the conversation in data, citing independent research that highlights beef’s role in modern diets, including its benefits for those using GLP-1 medications.
“We always want to get the truthful information out there, because there are detractors who are sharing a different agenda,” DeVuyst says. “We need to step up and make sure that the truth is out there, and that’s what the producer’s investment in the beef checkoff is doing for them.”
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