USMEF Working With Local Farmers To Promote “Buy Local” in Mexico

When the coronavirus pandemic started in March and April of last year, it sparked an increase in the buy local movement in the U.S, as well as in Mexico. To try to capitalize on the renewed interest in knowing from where their food comes, The U.S. Meat Export Federation went outside the box to appeal to consumers in Mexico.

Thanks to an education effort supported by the Beef Checkoff, the National Pork Board and the Illinois Soybean Association, USMEF-Mexico developed education programs pairing U.S. beef and pork with locally grown products. Gerardo Rodriguez, USMEF Marketing Director in Mexico, said at the onset of he pandemic, it was challenging differentiate their message from others. So, he noted, USMEF created creative alliances with products that aren’t typically meat related, such as a family owned coffee farm.

"What we are doing with them is we are developing products like coffee cream, coffee butter, coffee as  rub, and when we work together we develop recipes using U.S. beef and U.S. pork, using those ingredients.  We are educating the people how they can cook different kinds of recipes using local ingredients, which is the coffee.”

Rodriquez noted they are also working with family farms that focus on hydroponic vegetables, honey and even habanero peppers. He added at this point, more and more families are reaching out to USMEF, expressing an interest in a working relationship to promote the use of local products.

Rodriguez said as long as the program proves to be successful, USMEF will continue to work with local farmers and producers.

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