FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Meat Processors
World's Most Productive Companies
Animal Protein: Volatility, Regulation, and Efficiency Gains
These companies primarily operate within the animal protein and meat processing Peer Group, specializing in the production, processing, and distribution of various meat products like beef, pork, and poultry. Processes include deboning, grinding, marination, curing, smoking, portioning, vacuum packaging, and compliance with USDA and HACCP regulations. They are export-oriented, exposed to feed and herd cycles, animal disease shocks, labor and line-speed constraints, regulatory scrutiny on traceability and deforestation, as well as consumer trading-down.
Disease shocks, COVID-era plant disruptions, a 2021–2022 spike in feed and energy costs, tighter rules on animal welfare and deforestation, and divergent species cycles, notably a historic U.S. cattle contraction, shaped pricing, margins, and trade patterns from 2019 to 2024. The cattle contraction, in particular, appears to have enabled many of these companies to drive productivity growth. Investments in automation, robotics, and advanced analytics to enhance operational efficiency, address labor challenges, and optimize processes in response to evolving market demands also contributed to productivity improvements across the Peer Group.
Top 100 World's Most Productive Companies - Meat Processors
Productivity Snapshot
Meat Processors had an atypical productivity trend: no consistent COVID-19 spike was found in other industries and peer groups, alongside an acceleration of productivity growth in most companies over the last two years. The Peer Group also had more variation amongst the companies than other segments of the Food & Beverage industry, more generally.
- Productivity for the sector stagnated over the last six years, with an overall productivity growth of 14.7% (more than 2% per year). This segment, unlike Food and Beverage more generally, performed above the average for manufacturers represented in the IPI, particularly.
- 9 of 10 these companies had positive productivity growth in 2023 and 2024 (while the vast majority of other companies regressed).
- 2024 Productivity improved an average of 6.5% across these companies (while again the vast majority of other companies regressed).
- Pilgrim’s Pride Corp earned its position within the LNS 2025 World’s Most Productive Companies by growing productivity 35.7% over the last six years, more than 153.8% the average of their peers/competitors. Over the last six years, PPC has raised productivity by acquiring a prepared-foods scale, investing heavily in efficiency-focused capital expenditures, optimizing its European footprint, and deploying digital tools to stabilize the mix, improve yields, and streamline operations.
