More Than an Industry: Fighting for the Soul of American Ranching

Ranching is the cornerstone of America's food supply. Long before beef becomes a marketable product or a line item on a corporate balance sheet, it begins with cattle, and with independent family ranchers who steward directly with the land, sustain rural communities, and uphold a way of life rooted in responsibility and self-reliance. This foundation is now under immense strain. The live cattle market has become one of the most concentrated sectors in American agriculture, with just a handful of dominant meatpackers controlling more than 85 percent of beef processing capacity. This consolidation has shifted power away from producers and toward corporations, weakening competition and threatening the independence that defines ranching culture.

As this consolidation has accelerated, a critical divide has emerged within the industry. Organizations like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) increasingly frame their mission around protecting “beef” as a commodity, focused on branding, downstream markets, and corporate scale. Independent ranchers, by contrast, are focused on cattle and the production side of the supply chain, where risk is highest, and margins are thinnest. Through its influence over the beef checkoff program and its close ties to packer-affiliated interests, NCBA has helped entrench a system that prioritizes beef demand and processor profitability while leaving cattle producers exposed to shrinking competition and diminished market power.

This imbalance came sharply into focus in 2016, when R-CALF USA uncovered that a state beef council was using mandatory checkoff funds to subsidize commercials for Wendy’s, the global fast-food restaurant chain. Wendy’s made no commitment to source beef from Montana, or even from U.S. cattle producers, yet independent ranchers were compelled to fund advertising for a multinational retailer. A federal court ruled the practice was likely unconstitutional and found that the USDA had failed to properly oversee checkoff spending, prompting increased federal controls at the state level. The case revealed a troubling truth: producer dollars were being used to promote corporate interests disconnected from cattle production itself.

While that ruling imposed accountability on state beef councils, the national problem remains unresolved. The beef checkoff still allows lobbying organizations to use producer dollars to cover overhead and staff costs, guaranteeing them a steady income and outsized political influence in Washington. This structural advantage has distorted policy outcomes, helping stall long-standing producer priorities even as consolidation accelerates. When those who profit downstream control the narrative and the funding, the interests of cattle producers are pushed aside.

The future of American ranching depends on restoring balance and accountability to the cattle market. Family ranchers need a system that rewards hard work, stewardship, and independence, not one that sacrifices the foundation of food production to corporate convenience. That is why the CPAC Ranchers Coalition is standing up for cattle producers, shining light on systematic failures, and defending the genesis of our food supply. If we value rural communities, market integrity, and the cultural heritage of American ranching, the time has come to put producers first and fight for a truly producer-driven future for American agriculture.