The U.S. pork industry is charting a new course to engage with American consumers and boost domestic demand as trade policy and global market dynamics threaten the pace of export sales. Pork producers have relied heavily on global demand in recent years. Nearly one-quarter of all U.S. pork was sold to international buyers in 2024. Continued success in the export market hangs in the balance as China trims imports of U.S. goods and trade conflicts curb global sales among other key buyers.
While global pork consumption has edged upward, U.S. per capita consumption has been flat for more than 50 years at 50 pounds on average, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That trails annual beef and chicken consumption, which exceeds 60 pounds and 100 pounds, respectively. The pork industry is aiming to gain ground with a new consumer marketing program, “Taste What Pork Can Do.” Focusing on flavor and featuring a wide variety of recipes and convenient cooking techniques, the campaign encourages U.S. consumers to reimagine the possibilities of pork for at-home meals.
According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the campaign represents the beginning of what could be a “new pork” on U.S. consumers’ plates. The next opportunity could be reevaluating hog genetics in an effort to match the campaign’s emphasis on flavor. Taste continues to be one of the top drivers influencing consumer meat purchases, as evidenced by sales of the most popular pork product, bacon.
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