Rising protein demand puts more pork on plates

By RHIANNON BRANCH
FarmWeek

As Americans want additional meat-based protein in their diets and diverse culinary experiences, pork is being plated on more tables across the country. Total pork consumption in the US this year is estimated to total 21.9 billion pounds, up about 185 million pounds from 2025, according to USDA. The department is projecting US pork use to increase again in 2027. Global demand for pork has also been strong in the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, as Millennial and Gen Z consumers take a greater role in food purchasing decisions, the pork industry is working to modify products to fit changing consumer preferences. “The reality is the young consumer in today’s society is very different than my parents and the Baby Boomer generation that has really propped up pork for a long time,” Jesse Heimer, National Pork Board (NPB) board member, told FarmWeek. “This is about recognizing where we are as an industry and as a protein and recognizing that where we’re going is much different than where we’ve been.”

‘Meat is having a moment’

Americans are eating more meat than ever before, not just pork, but beef and chicken, too. According to the Meat Institute, meat sales hit a record-high $112 billion in 2025 with more than 98% of American households purchasing meat for daily meals. US consumption of beef, pork, and chicken are all expected to rise again this year.

“Meat is having a moment,” Kansas State University (KSU) ag economist Glynn Tonsor told FarmWeek. “The desire for protein in the U.S. diet has definitely grown and that’s beneficial for pretty much the entire meat and livestock space.”

According to KSU’s Meat Demand Monitor, which surveys more than 3,000 US residents each month, taste and freshness are most important to consumers shopping for protein, outranking price.

Woodford County Farm Bureau member Chad Leman, who markets about 120,000 pigs annually from his farm in Eureka, said his family changed herd genetics to accommodate consumers. “We raise Duroc sired pigs now because studies have shown that consumers prefer the taste of Duroc pork versus other breeds,” he said.

Knowing consumers are interested in animal welfare, the Lemans also transitioned to open-pen gestation for their sows and focus on educating consumers about the benefits of raising pigs in barns.

Pork chops No. 1 cut

Seasonal demand for pork peaks during the summer months, and pork chops are the most popular cut of pork.

According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the average retail price for pork chops in US cities was $4.33 per pound in April 2026, up 9 cents per pound, or 2.1%, from $4.24 last year.

During an educational session at the 2026 World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, NPB CEO David Newman demonstrated how to trim a pork carcass into different cuts and challenged attendees to explore how traditional primal cuts can be processed differently to entice consumers.

“As the industry has changed, as our consumer has changed, are we meeting the consumer where they want to be?” Newman asked the audience. For example, Newman said there are more air fryers in US households today than there are coffee makers, pointing to a need for smaller cuts that can easily fit in condensed appliances. Portion sizes are also more relevant to the growing number of consumers on GLP-1 weight loss medications who desire more protein packed into smaller meals.

“This doesn’t have to be rocket science, this is meat science,” Newman told FarmWeek. “You could actually just cut that pork shoulder roast in half to make it a portion size that will meet a smaller family or meet someone who’s eating less grams of protein at a single serving or make it something that will fit in an air fryer.”

What’s in a name

The industry is also tapping into innovation in nomenclature, or how things are named. Newman used pork loin chops as an example. “Let’s use (a name) that also gives (consumers) a recognizable experience. Should we call it a pork ribeye, for example? That’s exactly what it is from an anatomical standpoint,” Newman said.

Culturally authentic names also resonate well with consumers. “Things that I like to highlight out of the carcass are some Spanish and Italian cuts, like the pluma or the secreto,” Newman said. “It’s not about the cut, it’s about the dish, and it’s about the eating experience they could get from that.”

Catering to different cultures is also an important goal of the National Pork Board’s (NPB) ongoing consumer marketing campaign, “Taste What Pork Can Do.” NPB recently launched a new tagline, Explora Todo El Gusto Del Pork, to connect with young Hispanic consumers.

“Over the next 20 or 30 years, the majority of the US population growth is going to come from Hispanic American audiences, so this is about making sure that we’re meeting that very important audience where they are,” Newman said. “Because pork is so culturally relevant and authentic to them, it’s a dynamite audience for us.”

Challenges ahead

Continued demand growth in the pork industry isn’t certain. Leman pointed to California’s Proposition 12, which places housing restrictions on farms that ship pork to the state.

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.