The Future Of Turkey

The turkey category is focused on continuing and increasing existing category growth with exciting new products, particularly with an eye toward better-for-you items. Similarly, suppliers are amplifying the drive toward sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship with meaningful investment in regenerative ag and climate friendly farming.

Butterball

Butterball has been paying apt attention to the latest IRI data, which illustrates the turkey category remains strong. Within the last 52 weeks—ending on May 14—total fresh turkey increased 6.1 percent in dollars sales in the fresh meat category. “It continues to be a great value relative to many other protein options,” said Kyle Lock, Vice President of Retail Marketing for Butterball. “Turkey is a lean, versatile protein that can take on many different flavor profiles and be used as an alternative to other proteins in many recipes. Data continues to tell us that the demand for protein isn’t wavering, and Butterball is positioned to feed the demand with nutritious and delicious turkey options.”

Butterball is attuned to what consumers demand and expect from the turkey category and despite the positive and comforting memories turkey evokes, Butterball is ensuring turkey remains a relevant meal option throughout the year—not limited to Thanksgiving and leftovers. “Our insights team is a powerhouse of knowledge that works tirelessly to determine what consumers expect from the protein category, Butterball and the retailers that sell our products,” Lock said. “As a result, we’ve developed a product portfolio that meets the needs of consumers and expectations of retailers, not just at Thanksgiving, but every day. We keep a pulse on the trends and consumer needs and deliver with solutions."

Last year, Butterball launched a new marketing platform surrounding the theme: Today, we turkey. “The catalyst for the new campaign was directly aligned with our company’s purpose —why Butterball exists in the world,” Lock explained. “We determined that yes, we are in the business of turkey, but more than that we are in the business of togetherness. Our products inspire people to come together around a warm, wholesome meal. Everything we develop and go to market with going forward will be tied back to our purpose—to help people pass love on. We are building on the brand equity we have established with older generations and turning Millennials and Gen Z consumers into lifelong Butterball fans who know it’s more than about making profits, but also community, authenticity and purpose.”

“Providing new consumer solutions has been a huge focus, and we recently launched our Hearty Turkey Sausage links,” Lock continued. “We developed a bun-length, butcher-style link that has all the robust flavor, coarse texture and juicy snap of a traditional beef and pork sausage link but with 70 percent less fat. It’s a pre-cooked smoked sausage available in two flavors, Old World Style and Polish Style. It’s an innovative solution for consumers looking for a convenient, nutritious and delicious quick meal or a new favorite on the grill.”

Cargill Protein

In late May, Cargill, producers of the produce Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White lines, announced plans to leverage its one-of-a-kind place in the supply chain to further its regenerative agriculture program in Europe. This program means farmers throughout Germany, Poland, Romania and France will be compensated financially once they utilize climate-friendly farming practices. Cargill RegenConnect, which has experienced a couple of fruitful years in North America, will grow from 15 to 24 states. The nine new states include North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. Further, Cargill RegenConnect will offer US farmers increased payments and improve expediency and accessibility to enrollment through mobile devices.

Its expansion demonstrates Cargill’s commitment to helping farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices across its global supply chain, rooted in the firm belief that change starts where the food system begins—at the farm, said company officials. “Companies like Cargill are helping to make it economically feasible for farmers to implement sustainable practices around the world,” said Chantelle Donahue, North America Agriculture Supply Chain Vice President. “It is how agriculture and farmers can be part of the climate solution, helping to reduce emissions, improve water quality and use, increase yields and build up the resilience of our soils for the next generation. Our vision is to make regenerative agriculture commonplace across our global supply chain, enabling farmers to produce food more sustainably while increasing their profitability and resiliency.”

Cooper Farms

This year, Cooper Farms is celebrating a milestone anniversary—85 years as a family-owned and operated farm and food company. Starting out as a small turkey hatchery in 1938, Cooper Farms has evolved into a vertically integrated turkey, hog and egg company, proving it can withstand the test of time in a constantly moving industry.

Cooper Farms takes pride in its ability to form and sustain long term relationships with customers while producing top tier quality meat and egg products for partners in the private label retail and foodservice sectors. “Our company was founded on a handshake mentality, with a focus on doing the right thing all the time,” said Jim Cooper, CEO. “It’s humbling to see the growth of Cooper Farms and all that we’ve accomplished, with the help of great partners, leaders and team members. I am pleased to see these next generations, both Cooper family and team members, stepping up to leadership roles and seeing us through these next phases of growth.”

Cooper Farms has lived by its “never sit idle” philosophy, pushing to consistently look for ways to improve processes, quality, safety and animal care. “Being innovative in the way we do things, always looking to improve our processes is part of the reason our company has been successful,” said Gary Cooper. “We were founded on a can-do attitude and will continue to have that mindset in the way we do business moving forward.”