Pork Promotion, Research
and Consumer Information Act of 1985
The need for
additional funds to keep pork competitive with other
protein-based commodities helped producers make the
decision to move from a voluntary to a legislative
checkoff. A “100 percent Producer Task Force” organized
an effort that led to the successful passage of federal
legislation, The Pork
Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1985,
more commonly referred to as the
Pork Act, as part of the 1985 Farm Bill.
After being overwhelmingly approved by a producer
referendum, the national legislative
Pork Checkoff was
set in motion under the supervision of the USDA's
Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS). The Checkoff is
designed to provide funds for pork promotion, research
and consumer information to enhance pork producers’
opportunity for success.
Under the terms of the Pork Act, all pork producers and
importers of pigs and pork products contribute a portion
of all sales. The current checkoff rate is 0.4 percent
of value (i.e., 40 cents for every $100 market value).
The Pork Act created the
National Pork Board,
which is responsible for collecting the Checkoff and
administering Checkoff-funded programs that benefit
producers with all sizes of operations.
The National Pork Board is made up of 15 members who are
nominated by the Pork Act Delegate Body, whose members
are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The
Secretary also appoints the Pork Board members. The
board is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. In 2001, the
National Pork Board severed its ties with NPPC.
Promotion,
Consumer Information and
Research Programs
The Pork Act stipulates that Checkoff funds must be used
for promotion, research and consumer information
programs. These programs are designed to strengthen |
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the position of the pork industry in the marketplace,
and to maintain, develop and expand markets for pork and
pork products. Checkoff funds cannot be used for
influencing government or for lobbying.
The
Pork Checkoff funds programs in the
following areas:
• Promotion –
Centered on Pork. The Other White Meat®, one of the
best-known advertising lines in history, the
Pork Checkoff’s primary function is to increase the demand
for U.S. pork in the United States and abroad.
• Consumer information –
Teaching consumers about the characteristics,
versatility, and uses of today’s pork products and
making them aware of the role that pork plays in a
balanced healthy diet is an important part of the
board’s promotion activities.
• Research – Unique
among commodity programs, the Pork Act enables the
Pork Checkoff to conduct research on a wide variety of
topics, ranging from production methods to product
development to environmental solutions.
Pork Checkoff
education programs complete this activity by making
research results available to producers in many formats
via a variety of media. |
