From the Association By Doyle Leefers,
Thank You
NARA Immediate Past Chairman
When I accepted the opportunity to be chairman of the
North American Renderers Association, none of us
had any idea that something called COVID-19 would
upend our world just four and a half months after I became
the new chairman.
As chairman, my goals were for rendering’s sustainability
to become more widely recognized, strengthen NARA’s
membership, and involve more younger, “next-gen” renderers
in our association. These goals quickly had to share the stage
with our new top priority — promoting and protecting the
rendering industry’s livelihood during the pandemic.
I’m proud to say that because of NARA, rendering was
declared an essential industry in American agriculture and for
the nation. At first, rendering was excluded; but through NARA’s
close relationship with the Food and Drug Administration, we
were able to convince the Department of Homeland Security
how critical rendering was to America’s meat supply and
feeding our people. Directly due to NARA, renderers were
recognized as essential and allowed to operate during the
nationwide COVID shutdown.
As I complete my term as NARA chairman, the past
two years overall have been good for the industry, despite
COVID-19. And we are enjoying very attractive fat prices, some
of the highest in in the industry’s history.
The association’s business of the past two years has been
fairly stable. Our membership base continues to be strong. NARA’s
key issues continue to grow in importance, such as sustainability,
animal feed safety, foreign market trade barriers and food waste.
And renderers certainly have their share of challenges
in the changing marketplace, even to the point of getting
containers to load and move into export. But over the past
two years, we didn’t face a crisis threatening the very existence
of our industry as some of you have experienced in the past.
However, change is coming to NARA and coming rapidly.
First, NARA’s leadership is changing. Mike Smith with Valley
Proteins will be the new chairman. I will become immediate past
chairman on the executive committee, where I’m glad to serve
and advise, when asked, based on my experience as chairman.
Second, after eight years, NARA will soon have a new
president and CEO. Kent Swisher will lead the association
starting Jan. 1, when Nancy Foster retires. Kent brings a
wealth of experience having served as senior vice president
for international programs. I ask that each of you give him all
the support and suggestions you can in the coming year as he
leads us in his new role.
A third change happening is the retirement of Tina
Caparella, our longtime exceptional editor and publisher of
Render magazine. It was her vision that transformed Render
from a magazine mostly distributed in the U.S. and Canada to
now being recognized as the premier global publication of the
worldwide rendering industry. Thank you, Tina.
We welcome Render’s new editor and publisher, Sharla
Ishmael, into our industry, who has extensive experience in
livestock publications.
Continued consolidation in our industry will bring more
change. While we haven’t lost any major members over the
past two years, that may change looking forward. As rendering
companies acquire each other, dues to NARA inevitably decline
while our operating costs don’t. And NARA runs a tight ship, as
our treasurer Michael Glenn can tell you.
I’m pleased to report that NARA is in strong financial shape.
But industry consolidation will continue to put pressure on
association dues and will be an issue to consider moving forward.
I know Mike Smith is ready to lead us through this challenge.
NARA’s programs enjoyed success over the past year.
Everything your association does is based on priorities in our
strategic plan. NARA’s mission is to advocate for a sustainable
food chain, public health and the environment through the
production and marketing of our members’ products and
services. We do this by:
— Promoting effective public policy, regulations and
technology.
— Encouraging responsible business practices.
— Supporting free movement of our members’ products
in domestic and international markets.
— Improving stakeholder awareness and understanding
of the value of these products and services.
NARA has been very active since our last convention
on issues in our science and regulatory program, export
promotion, political advocacy, communications, membership
and meetings.
For example, preparing for potential introduction of
African swine fever into our country was a priority. Our staff
served on the Agriculture Department’s hand-selected small
Technical ASF Working Group and another Slaughter Plan
Working Group to help ensure solid preparation and response.
USDA has pledged to work with industry in the event of an ASF
outbreak to get farms, packing plants and rendering plants up
and running normally again as soon as possible.
NARA also continued to communicate closely with FDA
about treatment of livestock with barbiturates by veterinarians.
This past year, the Animal Protein Producers Industry
funded an instructional video through the Fats and
Proteins Research Foundation on sampling for pathogenic
microorganisms in rendering plants to help members in their
testing programs. Some 191 rendering plants currently test
as part of APPI.
NARA’s export promotion work is extremely important
for our industry’s profitability. In the face of changing markets,
often driven by international politics, approximately 18% of
our annual production is sold overseas. NARA receives sizeable
funding from USDA grants to help promote exports of our
rendered products, and this money helps fund our overseas
offices in Hong Kong and Mexico City.
Indonesia is a top market and NARA coordinated with the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to plan a virtual
audit with the country’s director general for livestock and
animal health services. We also coordinated with APHIS on
18 December 2021 Render www.rendermagazine.com
/www.rendermagazine.com