Labor shortages remain a major challenge in the meatpacking industry

Labor shortages remain a major challenge in the meatpacking industry, Cameron Bruett, head of corporate affairs for JBS USA, told a packed room at the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn.“Today, it’s very difficult to find someone to work in a packing plant,” said Bruett. “The bottleneck in our industry isn’t in the number of animals any more. The bottleneck is a labor shortage in the plant, and it’s a major problem.”He went on to say, “Much of our labor force is comprised of first-generation immigrants and they’re great people, but we still face significant turnover and unplanned absenteeism among our work force, and that makes it difficult to run a business. Ultimately, it makes it difficult to get our product out the door. That impacts the cattlemen and women who depend on the packers to supply beef to the consumers.”Bruett, who has played key roles in the beef sustainability movement, also spent time defining beef sustainability and illustrating the importance and benefits of the industry’s path of continuous improvement.“There are a lot of labels out there, but those labels aren’t about sustainability,” said Bruett. “Those labels are about a production practice, but sustainability is much more than any single production practice. In order to evaluate the sustainability of the product, the profitability, social and environmental aspects must be considered equally. Something may be good for the environment, but if it’s not also profitable, then it’s not sustainable … If that product is profitable, contributes to the social landscape and has positive environmental benefits, then it becomes sustainable.”Bruett said every segment of the beef supply chain needs to better understand their customers to meet the needs of a changing industry. He also emphasized the significant challenges posed by competing proteins, an uncertain political environment and its impact on labor in the United States, according to an NCBA summary of his remarks.