New 800 Million Pound Market Opportunity Opens for American Protein Producers

Wed, 27 May 2026 13:09:34 GMT

Animal protein has never been more valuable, but for many American producers, the under-utilized portions of the animal—drumsticks, medium eggs and hams—often face volatile export markets or price suppression.

Jeff Simmons , CEO of Elanco and chairman of HATCH, wants to change that. On the eve of World Hunger Day, Simmons announced the Coalition to Close the Protein Gap, a $40 million public-private initiative led by a coalition of farmers, protein producers, hunger advocates and more, to bridge the 800-million-pound annual protein deficit in the U.S. charitable food system.

For producers, this isn’t just a feel-good story; it’s the creation of a massive, sustainable domestic market.

Scaling Up: The Goal for 3 Billion Meals

Currently, only 14% of the food in the U.S. food bank system is animal protein. The Coalition aims to push that to over 20% within three years, delivering 3 billion protein-rich meals annually.

“Your product has never mattered more,” Simmons says to U.S. animal protein producers. “We have moved from ‘this is hunger’ to ‘this is healthcare and well-being.’ The most demanded product in food today is the food from American protein producers. We are creating a new market that is going to change lives and create 3 billion more meals and create a new market for animal protein.”

The strategy is simple: redirect high-value, lower-demand items—like ground pork, hams and poultry leg quarters—away from inconsistent export channels and into a stable, domestic supply chain. By investing $40 million into specialized processing lines, cold storage and distribution support, the coalition is building the infrastructure that allows a packing plant to bag frozen drumsticks or package medium eggs specifically for food pantries.

A Self-Sustaining Market, Not a Handout

The most critical takeaway for livestock producers is that this is not a traditional charity model. It utilizes the proven HATCH model, which has operated on a “cost-plus” basis for a decade.

“This is a sustainable, value-driven system,” Simmons explains. “HATCH sources protein directly from U.S. farmers without reliance on ongoing donations. It’s a self-sustaining model where farmers can make a profit on their lower-demanded protein, and food banks get a consistent supply way under their typical budget. Everybody wins.”

By providing a “cost-plus” market, the program offers producers a floor for products that might otherwise be sold at a loss or dumped during supply gluts.

“We’re going to change dietary habits through this initiative,” Simmons says. “We know what protein does to communities, to education, to healthcare – it is going to make it more accessible for them. Farmers will have a market for their less-demanded protein, and for USDA, that does $400 million a day of programs, this program becomes sustainable.”

High-Level Backing

The initiative has garnered unprecedented support from both the public and private sectors, including:

Government:
$15 million in combined support from the USDA and HHS.
Industry Giants:
Support from Elanco, Tyson Foods, Cargill, Perdue Farms, Hilmar Cheese, Rose Acre Farms and major checkoff organizations like the National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and American Egg Board.
Advocacy:
Support from hunger advocates, like Tony Robbins and Simmons among others.

“Millions of American families are going without the protein they need, and our farmers are already raising it. The protein gap shouldn’t exist,” says Tony Robbins, hunger advocate and leader of the 100 Billion Meals initiative.

The CDC Foundation, in partnership with HATCH, is launching The Missing Piece, a nationwide crowdfunding campaign with a simple ask: Be the Missing Piece in closing the protein gap. Donations will help build the infrastructure needed to move more high-quality protein through HATCH’s nationwide distribution network.

“A decade of operations taught us one thing: supply alone doesn’t close the gap, and infrastructure alone doesn’t close the gap,” says Daniel Leckie, CEO of HATCH. “They must move together. The supply exists, and HATCH consistently and reliably gets it where it needs to go. The Coalition will align supply and infrastructure at a scale that finally makes closing the gap possible.”

Improving access to wholesome, nutritious protein to ensure Americans can Eat Real Food has meaningful implications for public health, healthcare costs and economic stability.

“What fires me up is kids won’t be eating Pop-Tarts in the morning, they’ll be able to have sausage, eggs and milk,” Simmons says. “Then, their day changes because they get a consistent supply of animal protein that they don’t get today.”

The Long-Term Vision

In five years, the coalition intends for the “meat case” in food pantries to be a permanent fixture, supported by a robust infrastructure of freezers and transportation. For the producer, this means a more reliable domestic market.

“The protein industry has the supply, the scale, and the will,” Simmons says. “What it has needed is the right infrastructure to connect that supply to the families who need it.”

To learn more about the infrastructure build-out or how to participate in the HATCH distribution network, visit closetheproteingap.org .

“This is a monumental moment to create lasting change that will impact Americans for generations,” Simmons says. “It’s the most meaningful alignment between government, agriculture and the hunger community I have seen in my career.”

National Pork Producers Council - NPPC

New 800 Million Pound Market Opportunity Opens for American Protein Producers

Scaling Up: The Goal for 3 Billion Meals

A Self-Sustaining Market, Not a Handout

High-Level Backing

Government:

Industry Giants:

Advocacy:

The Long-Term Vision