Dive Brief:
- Two of the nation's largest meat organizations, the North American Meat Association (NAMA) and the the American Meat Institute (AMI) may merge into one.
- The board of directors of NAMA approved the plan in a vote over the weekend.
- If AMI votes likewise in April, the merger will take effect January 1, 2015.
Dive Insight:
NAMA was formed in 2012 when the North American Meat Processors Association and the National Meat Association consolidated. Currently, NAMA represents more than 600 companies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and provides advocacy, regulatory, and educational services to its members. AMI represents 95% of the red meat processors and 70% of turkey processors and their suppliers throughout the United States. Discussions of a potential merger began last September. While the consolidation will probably bring benefits to members, those left outside might regard this kind of centralization as a bad sign for those not in the group, as per the argument about the meat industry in The Meat Racket.