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LIVESTOCK LEGACY honor, Forkner humbly said his The Midwest Cattleman · October 22, 2020 · P10
continued from page 2 most meaningful reflection re-
founder animals for Mizzou’s garding his selection was being Editor’s Note:
National Institutes of Health “able to achieve something you An award ceremony
Swine Resource and Research thought was impossible.” and fund-raising event
Center. Just last month he An original oil painting of for the livestock judg-
was inducted into the National Forkner will be framed and ing fund commemorat-
Pork Producers Council Hall of hung when the award is pre- ing Forkner’s induction
Fame. When asked about his sented at the annual North into the Saddle & Sir-
leadership and expertise in American International Live- loin Club will be held
the livestock industry, he says stock Expo in Louisville, Ky., at November 15th at Gob-
he doesn’t consider himself as the Kentucky Expo Center in bler’s Roost restaurant
such, rather that he has thor- November. Originally housed 7.8 miles east of Nevada,
oughly enjoyed every opportu- in Chicago, the portrait gallery Missouri. Everett Forkner being inducted into National
nity that he was given. moved to Louisville in 1976. Pork Producers Council Hall of Fame. Photo
Although induction into the courtesy of National Pork Producers Council.
portrait gallery is a prestigious CAFNR
MIGHT THE “You could imagine policies way that actually incentivizes “Plant-based products expe-
continued from page 3 where they try to incentivize producers to adopt practices rienced some significant sales
been widening over time, so it’s certain practices that might that actually achieve the de- growth,” he said, “but most of
not surprising to see it starting do a better job sequestering sired outcome. the time that is expressed in
to show up in some of our polit- carbon. Could farmers be paid “My fear is that something percentage increases. If you
ical debates.” for adopting those sorts of prac- like a cow tax will just (treat) start from a really low base it’s
Vice presidential nominee tices? If we see a sweep of all all animals the same, no mat- easy to get a large percentage
Kamala Harris suggested ear- the legislative and executive ter how they are raised and increase.”
lier this summer she would like branches of government, it’s what part of the country they During the height of the
to see a change to U.S. dietary more likely we’ll see that kind are raised in, no matter how packing plant slowdowns in
guidelines to reduce meat con- of move towards those sorts of they are fed, no matter how April and May, Lusk said plant-
sumption. However, Lusk said policies,” Lusk said. productive they are,” he said. based sales didn’t increase
it could be difficult to change Morgan questioned whether “I think that would be unpro- much during that period, de-
those dietary guidelines imme- politicians are listening to the ductive. We want to make sure spite retailers limiting the pur-
diately. scientists who are showing that if we go down that route that chase of red meat items.
“There’s a dietary guidelines livestock’s impact on climate we have a system that actually “We might have expected a
committee going on right now,” change is exaggerated by activ- incentivizes folks to move in a spike in plant-based sales, but
he said. “The way the adminis- ists. good direction.” I really didn’t see that in the
tration would affect that pro- “Livestock does have an im- One issue Lusk has observed data. It does suggest who is
cess is by who they appointed pact on the environment,” Lusk during the coronavirus pan- buying those products. Maybe
to that committee. Can they said. “The question is how big demic is how consumers react- these are not the people that
undo that now? I doubt it. But and how much? Our own EPA ed with their food purchases. were buying a lot of beef and
that is a lever (a new adminis- suggests that maybe 9% of all While it was predictable that pork to begin with.”
tration would have).” greenhouse gas emissions are consumers stocked up on pasta Lusk says he is also im-
Lusk said if a new adminis- from agriculture, maybe 3% or and rice or items that are stor- pressed with the strength of
tration sought certain types of 4% of that is cattle. We have able, he said the way meat “flew meat demand during the pan-
environmental regulations or to put that in context relative off the shelf was just not what I demic, “especially with the fact
climate regulations, that could to the other impacts that we would have predicted.” that we haven’t come anywhere
have an impact on the cattle have.” Additionally, Lusk says the close to full-recovery of the food
and beef industry. He sees some Lusk said any efforts to curb sales data for plant-based pro- service or restaurant sectors.”
pros and cons for agriculture greenhouse gas emissions for teins did not suggest a trend Drovers
under a Biden/Harris adminis- livestock should be done in a away from red meat.
tration.

LEGISLATION livestock losses caused by fed- the economic and natural re- of dollars in losses in any given
continued from page 3 erally protected species, while source impacts their decisions year. It is imperative that pro-
also authorizing funding for can have," said PLC Executive ducers have common-sense
from predation, compensate producers to carry out non-le- Director and NCBA Executive tools to protect their livestock,
livestock producers who expe- thal deterrence activities. These Director of Natural Resources, their financial security, and
rience depredation by federal- are both activities previously Kaitlynn Glover. "This is some- local wildlife populations."
ly protected species, and fund funded primarily by affected thing PLC and NCBA have The ACE Act also includes
methods to reduce conflicts be- States, despite the federal pro- urged Congress to recognize for funding to improve invasive
tween humans and predators. tections for animals causing the years, so this relief comes at a species control and prevention
Introduced by Senate En- predation. PLC and NCBA have time when producers are con- efforts, a provision designed to
vironment and Public Works worked with Congress and fed- tending with losses from multi- develop innovative ways to re-
Chairman John Barrasso (R- eral agencies to provide relief to ple events,” duce human-predator conflict,
Wyo.) and Ranking Member States and producers through “We also applaud the es- and establishes a task force to
Tom Carper (D-Del.), the ACE improvements to federal regu- tablishment of a specific dep- address prevailing concerns
Act contains a number of pro- lations and through compensa- redation permitting structure about Chronic Wasting Disease
visions designed to address im- tion programs, and the ACE Act for producers who have expe- (CWD) that occurs in cervids
pacts that wildlife and wildlife provides relief in both ways. rienced losses due to common like deer, moose, and elk. The
management can have on live- "Livestock producers and raven and black vulture dep- bill now awaits signature by
stock production. States face significant burdens redation. Most of these losses President Trump.
One such provision provides when the federal government occur during calving and lamb-
depredation payments for live- implements protections for spe- ing season, with producers ex- NCBA
stock producers who experience cies without any support for periencing tens of thousands