Beef production is the largest segment of U.S. agriculture. In 2021, cattle production represented approximately 17% of $391 billion in total agriculture cash receipts (USDA/ERS, 2022). The U.S., although having the largest fed-cattle industry in the world and being the largest producer of high-quality, grain-fed beef for domestic use and exportation, is still a net beef importer because we purchased lower-value, grass-fed beef destined for processing (USDA/ERS, 2022). Domestic and international beef markets with ever-evolving consumer preferences for protein sources, food safety concerns, international trade policies, supply chain disruption, and production technologies pose many challenges to the U.S. beef industry. COVID-19 disruption of the supply chain (Martinez et al.,2021), issues with cattle ID and traceability (Pendell and Shear, 2020), potential association between age and STEC prevalence (Yang et al., 2021), and ability to enhance beef quality with new supplement (arginine; Tuell et al., 2021) or existing technology (electrical stimulation; Wang et al., 2021) are only a few of emerging areas that have been researched by the scientists of this group and are important for the competitiveness of U.S beef products.

Therefore, there is a critical need for enhancing the competitive edge of U.S. beef in both domestic and international markets. This need, if unmet, will leave the beef industry with both technological and financial uncertainty and ultimately loss of competitiveness in the global market as a commodity. In addition to scientific focus, this is also a policy matter for the U.S. government, especially for the Department of Agriculture and National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to fund and facilitate collaboration among animal, meat, and economic researchers in the U.S. to solve complex issues confronting the U.S. beef industry as it competes in a global market. A natural consortium of animal, meat, and economic scientists has existed for the last few decades and committee members of this multistate project have made significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the areas of cattle production, beef processing, meat quality and safety, nutrition, consumer preferences, consumer demands, international trade policies, biosecurity, and supply chain management. Such contributions have propelled changes in animal production, meat processing, and the structure of the industry as beef markets continue to evolve. The multi-disciplinary research team has decided to renew its effort to focus on enhancing U.S. beef values from farm to fork to help the U.S. beef industry meet the ever-increasing and diverse demands for beef products.