When I joined U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, one of the first strategic objectives I learned about the Association was the desire to partner with other national poultry organizations and state affiliates to work with, augment and influence each other’s efforts in attacking common problems while avoiding duplication. This means that knowledge, information and expertise developed by one organization is shared and available to, and utilized by, the remaining organizations to further their own mission areas. Each of our groups has unique strengths, focus points and value to the industry, yet with our own distinct vision and mission areas. For instance, while USPOULTRY does not lobby or market poultry products on behalf of the industry, we do progressively serve the industry through communications, research, education and technical services.
One way USPOULTRY works with other organizations is through committees such as the Joint Environmental Committee, Joint Human Resources Committee or Joint Safety and Health Committee. These committees are a combined effort by USPOULTRY, the National Chicken Council (NCC) and the National Turkey Federation (NTF), with the intent of benefitting the industry from a single committee that can address an issue from inception, and on all levels, from a research or educational need to reaching out to national legislators, thus helping to ensure all are informed and can collaborate on efforts on behalf of the industry. Some recent examples of the groups working together revolve around the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) reporting exemption and the poultry industry joint safety recognition awards.