[Peace-discuss] gasohol, yee haw.

[E. Wayne Johnson]

The amount of protein available to U.S. consumers has declined in recent 
years and is expected to continue declining for the foreseeable future, 
Jim Lochner, chief operating officer of Tyson Foods, said at the Bank of 
America Merrill Lynch 2012 Global Agriculture Conference.

"We are operating in a different world than we were a few years ago," 
Lochner said. "After decades of steady growth, U.S. per capita 
consumption of protein declined 11 percent from the peak in 2006, a 
trend that is likely to continue."

Americans are eating less protein because there is less available to 
eat, Lochner said. Strong export demand is sending more meat and poultry 
overseas. In addition, he said, less protein is being produced because 
of the pressure on the profitability of livestock and poultry farming. 
As input costs have gone up, food inflation has accelerated, creating 
more margin shifts and disrupting the supply chain.

"Tyson has a broad portfolio of products that can help our customers 
grow," Lochner said. "We don't just sell meat in a box. We provide 
innovation and food solutions to our customers and consumers, and that 
is what differentiates us from our competitors."