Back to Grass: The Market Potential for US Grassfed Beef
Authors: Donny Benz, Renee Cheung, Rosalie Kissel, Paul McMahon and Erik Norel | Published: April 2017
Grassfed beef in the U.S. is a fast-growing consumer phenomenon that is starting to attract the attention of more cattle producers and food companies, but there is a lack of coherent information on how the market works. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) produces a vast body of data on the conventional beef sector, its data collection and reporting efforts on grassfed beef are spotty. Pockets of information are held by different private sector organizations, but they have rarely been brought together.
This report addresses that gap by providing a comprehensive overview of the U.S. grassfed beef sector, with a focus on market and economic dynamics. It brings together available data on the current state of the sector, identifies barriers to growth and highlights actions that will help propel further expansion. It analyzes consumer demand, supply chains and both domestic and imported grassfed beef production models, all the while comparing grassfed beef with conventional beef to highlight their differences.
The report tries to answer some fundamental questions about the future of the sector. How do we define “grassfed beef”? Does it matter how restrictive this definition is? Is grassfed beef destined to remain a niche, expensive product for the affluent consumer? Or can grassfed beef scale to the point where it displaces a significant portion of the conventional, grain-fed beef system in the U.S.?