The National Pork Board is partnering with five universities to establish The Real Pork Trust Consortium, a group whose aim will be to address consumers’ questions related to the pork industry.
The five-year effort will focus on answering consumers’ questions about the industry’s We Care Ethical Principles.
“The producer leaders of the National Pork Board recognize the need to engage with consumers to make sure we understand their questions, and they understand more about our commitment to people, pigs, and the planet,” said Bob Ruth, a producer from Pennsylvania and 2023-24 president of National Pork Board. “We also know we can’t do that alone. This unique partnership with exceptional talent from multiple land grant universities is an innovative approach for our industry, and we’re excited to support the effort through the consortium’s advisory council as they identify the most impactful ways to build trust in modern pork production.”
The Real Pork Trust Consortium includes the following universities: Iowa State University, the University of Georgia, North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and the University of Minnesota.
Among the five universities, leading experts in science communication, animal science, animal welfare, veterinary medicine, meat sciences and product safety, nutrition, agricultural economics, sustainability, sociology, and agricultural education will work side by side using a systems approach.
“Consumers want answers to their questions about the food they eat — and we have good, science-backed answers to share,” said University of Georgia Professor Alexa Lamm. “At the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, we are excited to partner with an industry that wants to work with scientists to find the answers and use the best methods to communicate transparently about the research behind pork production. We want everyone to have the information they need to make educated choices about the food they eat.”
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