CKW-The Chea K. Woolfolk Magazine April/May Edition 1

Improved nutrition and efficiency of modern feed mean today's pigs require less feed to reach market weight, Duerksen notes. Fifty years ago, a pig would need to eat more than 1,000 pounds of feed to reach market weight. Today, it requires just over 600 pounds.

Similarly, only a third knew it takes less land and water to raise a pig to market weight today than 50 years ago, while 37 percent thought more was required and 30 percent were unsure.

The future of pork Ninety-four percent of all consumers polled by Cargill say they eat pork, with bacon, pork chops and ham being the three favorite cuts. The USDA reports that the U.S. is the third-largest pork producer and consumer in the world.

Americans aren't the only people who love pork, either. Pork represents 40 percent of all meat consumed globally, according to the National Pork Board. The U.S. is the largest exporter of pork and pork products, accounting, on average, for more than 20 percent of the world's commercial pork production, the USDA says.

"With demand for pork increasing domestically and globally, a growing number of consumers feel it's important to know how the pork they're eating was raised and the nutritional value of the feed pigs consume," Duerksen says. "They already know pork tastes great and is a good source of protein and other nutrients. They also want to know their pork came from animals that were raised responsibly."