Rising living costs and persistent inflation are reshaping how consumers shop for meat and poultry. From Gen Z consumers managing tight budgets to Baby Boomers adapting to fixed-income realities, each generation is making different purchasing decisions based on affordability, convenience, household size, and value.

For more than two decades, the National Meat Case Study has provided the industry with a unique benchmark for understanding how the retail meat case is evolving. Join Ann-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics and the CRYOVAC® team for an exclusive look at findings from the 2026 study and what they reveal about today's meat department. Learn how strong consumer engagement continues to support meat sales, why case-ready packaging has become the industry standard, how smaller package sizes are reshaping offerings, and what the dominance of private label means for retailers and processors.

Most protein processors already have the data, including environmental monitoring results, production metrics, supplier information, but struggle to turn it into real-time decisions on the plant floor.

This session focuses on how to identify the data you already have, assess what's missing, and build a practical path toward AI that works on the plant floor. We’ll walk through what data actually matters, how to connect it across food safety, production, and supply chain systems, and how to structure it for practical use and not just reporting.

Join us for an exclusive look ahead as Brian Earnest, Lead Animal Protein Economist at CoBank, breaks down the key forces shaping the 2026 meat and poultry landscape. From shifting consumer demand and export dynamics to input costs, labor trends, and the evolving competitive environment, Brian will deliver expert insights to help industry leaders navigate volatility and capitalize on emerging opportunities. You won’t want to miss Brian’s data-driven analysis and his take on the economic trends poised to influence profitability and market strategy in the year ahead.