The meat industry: Do we think and behave globally or locally?

For generations, those that produce livestock and meat generally felt that their country or geographical region (i.e., provenance) reflected a basis for product differentiation. This occurs to the extent that geography of production often is considered a brand. For example, there exists U.S. Grain-Fed Beef or Kobe Black Wagyu or Uruguayan Grass-Fed Lamb or Danish Pork. However, for most meat trade, industry has evolved beyond this. With the exception perhaps of farms onto which livestock are born, meat company's profits are not generally tied to geographical considerations. Most major companies (e.g., JBS, Marfrig, Tyson, Cargill, Danish Crown, Nippon Meat Packers, etc.) operate in multiple countries and represent to consumers the production of a number of locations. However, there also now exist entrepreneurial options for meat production and local sales, albeit at lesser volumes. This discussion explores global and local meat marketing options. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.