Sales of meat snacks have grown by over 45% in the past four years to $4.4 billion.
Brian Earnest is lead economist for animal protein in CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division. He provides market and industry research for the poultry, pork and beef sectors.
He is a frequent speaker at industry events and source of expert analysis for The Wall Street Journal, CNN Business, Reuters and other major media outlets. He was recently recognized as an industry thought leader by Meatingplace with a November 2024 in-depth feature.
Brian has more than 15 years of industry and consulting experience. Prior to joining CoBank, he was a senior commodity analyst with IHS Markit’s Food and Agricultural Commodities Economics group where he provided forecasting and price risk strategies, client service and project consulting in the poultry and egg space. He previously held various procurement and advisory roles with Topco Associates, LLC, a retail food industry cooperative.
Brian holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in economics from Eastern Illinois University.
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Animal protein reports
Protein’s promise for meat snack growth
Sales of meat snacks have grown by over 45% in the past four years to $4.4 billion.
Consumer demand remains relentless, producer opportunity offered mixed signals
The brightest spot in the animal protein segment over the past couple of years has been consumer demand. Americans are still overwhelmingly choosing protein as retail meat department dollar sales were up 6.8% and unit sales were 2% higher for the 52 weeks ending January 2026, according to Circana sales data.
U.S. chicken doubles down on value-add to meet demand
The U.S. broiler industry has kept pace with extraordinary growth in chicken consumption but is now facing supply and production challenges.
Investment in efficiency is paying dividends as consumers clamor for protein
Despite rising price points for meat and poultry and expanding protein-centric competition, animal protein demand remained strong throughout 2025. Exceptional demand and softening feed prices are encouraging expansion in the animal protein space.
The Quarterly: AI won’t eliminate need for college grads
Despite rising fears, artificial intelligence is unlikely to spark a jobs apocalypse for recent college graduates.
U.S. beef attracts more customers than it can handle
Record high beef prices are getting a lot of attention, and the argument can be made that extraordinary demand is the key driver.
The Quarterly: Where have the workers gone?
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Pork’s opportunity to reconnect with U.S. consumers has never been bigger
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Surging egg prices are being driven by more than bird flu
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Turkey is the price-savvy protein for Thanksgiving
Turkey remains the most budget‑friendly protein for Thanksgiving, with stable supplies and competitive prices giving shoppers more value at the holiday table.