Mention disruption to the food supply, and people tend to think about the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, disruption has been coming in all shapes and sizes since 2020. Hurricanes, forest fires, droughts, and other climate-related disruptions are becoming more frequent. Cybersecurity breakdowns and geopolitical disturbances are also common.
The initial round of Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants (MPIRG) initiated in 2021 was among the first resources offered under the Biden Administration’s ambitious commitment to support smaller meat and poultry processors.
Regional Directors Chris Roper and Dave Carter have been visiting several processors who received those initial grants. Between the two of them, they have seen more than 45 processors from New York to Oregon since March.
These visits were overwhelmingly heartening, to say the least.