Product Code Database
The meat industry are the people and companies engaged in modern industrialized livestock agriculture for the production, meat packing, preservation and marketing of meat (in contrast to dairy products, wool, etc.). In economics, the meat industry is a fusion of primary (agriculture) and secondary (industry) activity and hard to characterize strictly in terms of either one alone. The greater part of the meat industry is the meat packing industry – the segment that handles the animal slaughter, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as poultry, cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock.
A great portion of the ever-growing meat branch in the food industry involves intensive animal farming in which livestock are kept almost entirely indoors or in restricted outdoor settings like pens. Many aspects of the raising of animals for meat have become industrialized, even many practices more associated with smaller , e.g. gourmet foods such as foie gras. This heavy industrialization leads to an outsized environmental impact, responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions, land use change and Land degradation, and water, air and soil pollution.
The production of livestock is a heavily vertically integrated industry where the majority of supply chain stages are integrated and owned by one company. Each stage of the process of rearing animals to slaughter, is often concentrated in very few companies -- with some companies dominating multiple stages of the industry; for example in agrochemicals used in animal production 66% of global revenue are concentrated in four firms, in animal pharmaceuticals 58%. For example, Brazil's JBS S.A. have secured market dominance in multiple sectors in the USA and Brazil and is the world's largest animal slaughter company. This large economic influence, both within countries and over international trade, has created significant political influence from the industry. A 2025 review of scholarship found that the animal agriculture industry has played an outsized role in obstructing measures to address climate change, by actively supporting disinformation campaigns, and preventing Climate action.
Most companies involved in the meat industry, also own businesses, factories or brands focused on using animal by-products, such as slaughterhouse waste used in pet food, or creating inputs for the sector, such as Cattle feeding.
Meat jobbers came to prominence in the 1940s, as the American highway system began to expand, superseding rail-based branch houses.
Some meat jobbers known as meat breakers or meat boners would further process meat. In preparation for resale to retail, they "broke" the meat down from quarters to subprimal cuts and boned them prior to shipping. Retailers used these meat jobbers since they offered flexibility in cuts, and independent packers used them since they had to do minimal processing, requiring minimal capital investment.
A meat broker is an entity of the meat industry that Broker the buying and selling of meat, carcasses, animal products, and animals such as cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, etc. Meat brokers can also be known as poultry brokers or meat and poultry broker depending on their offerings.
Many observers suggest that the expense of dealing with the above is grossly underestimated by present econometrics and that true cost accounting would drastically raise the price of industrial meat.
The act of slaughtering animals, or of raising or transporting animals for slaughter, may engender psychological stress or trauma in the people involved. A 2016 study in Organization indicates, "Regression analyses of data from 10,605 Danish workers across 44 occupations suggest that slaughterhouse workers consistently experience lower physical and psychological well-being along with increased incidences of negative coping behavior." A 2009 study by criminologist Amy Fitzgerald indicates, "slaughterhouse employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes, arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offenses in comparison with other industries." As authors from the PTSD Journal explain, "These employees are hired to kill animals, such as pigs and cows, that are largely gentle creatures. Carrying out this action requires workers to disconnect from what they are doing and from the creature standing before them. This emotional dissonance can lead to consequences such as domestic violence, social withdrawal, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and PTSD."
Slaughterhouses in the United States commonly illegally employ and exploit underage workers and illegal immigrants. In 2010, Human Rights Watch described slaughterhouse line work in the United States as a human rights crime. In a report by Oxfam America, slaughterhouse workers were observed not being allowed breaks, were often required to wear diapers, and were paid below minimum wage.
Industry for alternative meats
Because of the outsized environmental and social impact of the meat industry, multiple industrial and social movements have proposed alternatives to a meat industry. Notable amongst these are cultured meat and Meat alternative, both industrially manufactured substitutes for meat for people seeking the experience of meat in food, without the associated environmental or ethical impacts. However, neither industry has taken a significant portion of the market. After much hype during the late 2010s and early 2020s, many of the larger companies, such as Beyond Meat, pursuing meat alternatives saw a significant drop in value.
Alternative meat industry
Cultured meat industry
See also
Further reading
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