This article was published in Pet Food Processing’s 2023 Buyers Guide. Read it and other articles from this issue in the digital edition of the Buyers Guide here.

The US pet food industry raked in about $64.41 billion in sales in 2023, a 10.8% increase from 2022. This growth wouldn’t have been possible without support from several associations. From advocating for industry members on Capitol Hill and enhancing trade opportunities to offering educational programs, eight associations across the United States have shown steadfast support in the pet nutrition industry.

Continue reading to learn more about how the American Feed Industry Association, American Pet Products Association, Association of American Feed Control Officials, North American Renderers Association, Pet Food Alliance, Pet Food Institute, Pet Sustainability Coalition and World Pet Association work to support all facets of the industry. 

American Feed Industry Association

Source: American Feed Industry Association

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has been navigating economic challenges, regulatory obstacles and trade opportunities since it was founded in 1909. AFIA’s ongoing mission has been to manage legislative and regulatory priorities on behalf of its membership, which consists of more than 650 domestic and international companies, including pet food and feed manufacturers, ingredient and equipment suppliers, and related industry businesses. The association’s priorities are emphasized through its ongoing advocacy for animal health and wellness, trade, industry sustainability, food and employee safety, education, research and engagement.

According to the AFIA, there are more than 5,800 animal food manufacturing facilities in the United States producing more than 284 million tons of finished feed and pet food each year. More than $6.8 billion worth of farm products are sold to pet food manufacturers each year, which in turn produce 9.8 million tons of pet food. And more than 75% of US animal feed and roughly 70% of non-whole grain ingredients in the country are manufactured by its members.

The association and its membership work to foster relationships with decision makers throughout allied agricultural organizations resulting in an amplified industry voice on Capitol Hill. The AFIA works with its members and committees to solicit input and develop the association’s positions on key policy issues. The staff then brings forward the recommendations to the AFIA leadership for review and approval and the AFIA Board of Directors ultimately approves the priorities, providing the association with its strategic focus for the year.

The association’s annual State of the US Animal Food Industry Report outlines the priorities for the upcoming year. 

“After experiencing several years of change at the AFIA, it was time to conduct a stocktaking of the organization and the industry it serves and develop a strategic plan to tackle emerging challenges,” wrote Constance Cullman, president and chief executive officer of AFIA in the association’s 2022-2023 report. “The result is a three-year strategy to strengthen the voice of the US animal food industry as we work to carry out our new mission of influencing policy and connecting people. In doing so, the AFIA is uniquely positioned to advance our members’ interests as we move toward our vision of achieving a healthier world through advanced animal nutrition.”

As part of its mission, AFIA makes four promises to its membership. The association promises members to be a voice in the animal food industry it serves. It also promises to provide expert legislative and regulatory leadership and representation. In addition, staff expertise is available to all members, on demand. And AFIA members are promised engagement opportunities for training, professional education and networking.

Furthermore, Cullman wrote, “To be recognized as the leading animal food industry association providing legislative, regulatory and policy representation, the organization will advocate for a more efficient and modern regulatory review of animal food ingredients, support the resiliency of the US animal food industry through customer and supplier market diversification, and facilitate industrywide solutions for a more sustainable animal food and livestock production sector.”

American Pet Products Association

Source: American Pet Products Association

Founded in 1958, the American Pet Products Association (APPA) serves the pet industry by supporting businesses, innovation and relationships. APPA serves the industry through services and programs designed to help professionals in the pet industry prosper.

APPA estimates total pet industry expenditures in the United States will reach $150.6 billion in 2024, up from $147 billion in 2023. Of that $147 billion, $64.4 billion was spent on pet food and treats — $66.9 billion is projected to be spent on pet food and treats in 2024.

Through its four primary initiatives — gathering, informing, connecting and giving back — APPA’s objective is to advance and unite the pet industry.

Gathering — APPA national and regional events connect pet industry professionals. These gatherings provide opportunities to do business, collaborate, learn and network. The annual Global Pet Expo, held in Orlando, Fla., every March is APPA’s premiere pet business tradeshow, uniting pet product retailers, pet food brands and manufacturers. The 20th annual expo held March 20-24, showcased a sold-out show floor with more than 1,100 exhibitors and nearly 20,000 attendees.

Informing — APPA seeks to inform its membership and the industry through leading pet industry research publications and its National Pet Owners Survey. The survey provides industry members with timely, actionable data. The APPA Research & Insights Team takes a deep dive into the background, attitudes and shopping behaviors of today’s pet owners in its annual report, as well as its State of the Industry report.

Connecting — APPA connects pet businesses and thought leaders throughout the industry including pet care product manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, distributors and service providers.

Giving back — The APPA Gives Back program supports pet industry organizations that benefit humans and pets alike. 

Founded by APPA, Zoetis and Petco in 2010 and supported by many organizations and individuals, the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has become the go-to resource for research and information on the human-animal bond. Alongside these organizations, APPA provides long-term financial support and maintains a leadership role in setting the strategic direction for HABRI.

APPA provides ongoing support to Joybound’s Shelter to Service program, helping to connect service dog candidates with individuals with invisible disabilities and providing free placement and professional training. In 2021, APPA donated $1 million to build the organization’s new training facility.

APPA provides ongoing support to Pets in the Classroom through annual contributions, fundraising campaigns, and maintaining a leadership role in the organization.

The Pet Advocacy Network monitors over 1,500 pieces of legislation involving pets and pet ownership at the local, state and national level annually, engaging with lawmakers and regulators to protect and promote the ability of pet businesses to provide products, services and healthy animals to pet owners and caretakers. APPA has long been a supporter of the Pet Advocacy Network.

APPA has nearly 1,000 members spanning pet product manufacturers, importers, livestock suppliers and other industry stakeholders.

Association of American Feed Control Officials

Source: Association of American Feed Control Officials

For more than 110 years, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has been promoting a safe feed supply through unified system-based regulation, feed ingredient standards and laboratory operations. The association’s mission is to guide state, federal and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions and label standards.

The independent, non-profit organization serves as a forum for animal feed and pet food manufacturers and state and federal agencies to develop uniform regulatory language for animal feed ingredients. It also provides a key framework for animal feed and pet food ingredient definitions and hosts biannual meetings through which industry members can learn and connect with other industry stakeholders. 

One of AAFCO’s top priorities is its pet food label modernization (PFLM) initiative. Earlier this year, heads of departments of agriculture unanimously voted to support AAFCO’s revised Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food. The revised regulations were approved by AAFCO in July 2023, and set new suggested labeling guidelines around nutrition information, ingredient statements, and storage and handling instructions to ensure consistency and transparency on pet food labels.  These new model regulations aim to make pet food labels more closely resemble those on human foods. 

Knowing the process would be long and arduous, AAFCO recommended a six-year enforcement discretion period to allow state regulatory programs time to incorporate the guidelines into their state laws and provide pet food manufacturers time to make the necessary label and packaging updates to their products. 

AAFCO and key stakeholders have worked together since 2015 to develop the revised guidelines. During the process, they have conducted multiple rounds of consumer research and gathered feedback from pet food manufacturers and industry partners to understand how pet food labels could better communicate important information.

In addition, AAFCO recently announced its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which outlines the organizations’ responsibilities for defining ingredients in animal feed and pet food and has been in place for 17 years, will not be renewed following its expiration on Oct. 1. 

Through the MOU, the FDA accepted and reviewed AAFCO Feed Ingredient Definition requests. 

“AAFCO believes that its ingredient definition process has been a shining example of successful collaboration and partnership between states and the federal government,” said Austin Therrell, executive director of AAFCO. “Although we are disappointed that the MOU is not being renewed, we are committed to being a conduit between the FDA and state regulatory programs, and to our work to provide standardization to the animal food industry.”

While AAFCO continues to shift its focus as regulations evolve, its commitment to safeguarding animal and human health by promoting a safe animal feed and pet food supply remains steadfast.

North American Renderers Association

Source: North American Renderers Association

As the trade association serving the US and Canadian rendering industries, the North American Renderers Association (NARA) seeks to speak with a collective voice to represent the interests of the industry in public, government and regulatory affairs. NARA’s mission is to promote the greater use of animal byproducts and foster the expansion of trade between foreign buyers and North American exporters.

NARA provides services, programs and technical support to its members and focuses on educating industry members and the public about the value of rendering in today’s society. Some important facts about rendering include:

• Only about 50% of an animal is considered edible by Americans.
• Rendering is the process of cooking and drying meat and/or other animal byproducts not used for human consumption in order to recover fats and proteins. 
• Rendering creates alternative, sustainable fuels to power trucks, trains, water vessels and other vehicles in addition to feeding cattle, hogs, turkeys, chickens, household pets and other animals. 
• The unwanted leftovers, like organ meats, used to produce rendered end products contain valuable fats and proteins filled with vitamins and minerals that animals, including pets, need to maintain their health and nutrition. 
• US renderers collect 56 billion lbs of raw materials a year and recycle them by cooking and drying them into 22 billion lbs of animal fats/oils and proteins.
• The US rendering industry accounts for $10 billion in annual economic activity.

One of the association’s primary responsibilities involves representing the interest of its members to legislative, regulatory and other government agencies on issues that impact the industry. NARA members, staff and government affairs experts meet regularly with key government officials, members of Congress and their staff to advocate for positions and policies that enhance opportunities for renderers and promote the industry’s sustainability.

Several of the association’s key priorities were included in the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2024 including doubling Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) funding and including rendering in the Butcher Block Act, a new meat processing grant program. 

“These achievements reflect NARA’s dedication to advocating for policies that benefit their members and the rendering industry and contribute to the agricultural circular bioeconomy,” NARA said.

NARA members include independent renderers and integrated packers or renderers who process their own animal byproducts. In addition, members include companies that provide equipment and services to the rendering industry, as well as those who broker or purchase rendered products. 

Members receive the association’s bi-monthly publication, Render Magazine, which is written for and about the rendering industry. Members are also invited to attend NARA’s annual convention, held each October, which provides a forum for renderers from around the world to share experiences and discuss common interests.

In addition to its US-based headquarters in Arlington, Va., NARA also maintains offices in Mexico and Hong Kong.

Pet Food Alliance

Source: Pet Food Alliance

Since its founding in 2017, the Pet Food Alliance (PFA) has been identifying and funding research on behalf of the pet food and rendering industries. 

PFA is a joint initiative facilitated through Colorado State University (CSU) and funded largely by the Fats and Protein Research Foundation (FPRF), which finances research designed to support the future of the rendering industry and its industry partners, including pet food producers. The primary mission of the alliance is to guide industry research and develop implementable solutions by uniting industry representatives at the same table. 

The first-ever PFA meeting was held at CSU in Fort Collins, Colo., seven years ago with around 85 participants from the rendering and pet food Industries — now the alliance has more than 400 members. 

Jennifer Martin, Ph.D., assistant professor at CSU’s Center for Meat Safety and Quality in the Department of Animal Sciences, leads the alliance and its activities. David Meeker, Ph.D., former senior vice president of the North American Renderers Association (NARA) and director of the FPRF, has also played a significant role in founding the PFA. 

The alliance hosts annual Technical Meetings, during which a handful of industry professionals present on topics relevant to current research efforts. The meetings also provide opportunities for working groups to meet and discuss priorities and next steps. Registration fees for PFA’s meetings go directly toward funding research deemed most important by the alliance’s three working groups: Product Safety, Product Quality, and Consumer Perception and Sustainability.

The 2024 Pet Food Alliance Technical Meeting, held May 1 and 2 in Kansas City, Mo., was centered around three key topics: foreign materials, workforce and educational gaps that exist in the pet food and rendering industries, and continuing efforts for each of the alliance’s working groups.

The product safety group has been working on optimizing and standardizing tank wash practices, specifically moving away from prescriptive steps to a more solutions-oriented approach. Members of the group have put together educational materials to be shared on the PFA website.

The product quality group continues to work toward standardizing peroxide value methods used to measure oxidation in fat and protein meals. The group also identified research opportunities to support a unified decision in peroxide value methodology in the future.   

The consumer perception and sustainability working group is working to reeducate industry members, the veterinary community and consumers about rendered protein meals in pet food. 

During NARA’s annual convention in December 2023, the FPRF presented the 2023 Dr. Fred D. Bisplinghoff Research Innovation Award to Martin for her support of the foundation and its programs including the PFA. 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the rendering industry through the Pet Food Alliance and thankful for the numerous industry partners who are willing to collaboratively develop solutions for industry-wide challenges,” Martin said after being presented with the award. 

Pet Food Institute

Source: Pet Food Institute

For more than 60 years, the Pet Food Institute (PFI) has been the voice of US pet food producers. PFI helps support the production of nutritious pet food by promoting pet food safety and innovation, advocating for legislation and regulations, educating dog and cat owners on their pet’s nutrition, care and wellbeing, and communicating the benefits of pet ownership. 

PFI members include pet food and treat producers, as well as companies who support the production, marketing and distribution of dog and cat food and treats in the United States. Member companies operate manufacturing facilities in 35 states and employ more than 35,000 people. 

Pet food advocacy is at the forefront of the PFI’s mission. 

“PFI’s government relations team covers federal and state legislative and regulatory issues that impact pet food makers,” PFI said. “We advocate for a fair, science-based regulatory environment and best practices that mutually benefit the pets we love, pet owners and the pet industry.”

Policy priorities include pet food safety, labeling and regulations, international market access, global trade and sustainability. 

Since 1993, PFI has engaged in export promotion through the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Market Access Program (MAP), which supports global promotion of US agricultural goods. This grant program requires matching funds from both executing organizations and the industry.

On Jan. 11, PFI announced it was awarded more than $1.3 million in MAP funding for 2024, which was to be used to promote the benefits of US-made pet food to consumers in 10 specific markets: Brazil, the Caribbean, Central America, China, Colombia, Mexico, the Middle East, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan.

According to PFI, research has shown that for each dollar invested in an export market through MAP, US agricultural exports have increased by more than $24. 

“The allocation of these funds to PFI is not just a win for the pet food industry, it is a win for the US agricultural industry,” said Nat Davies, vice president of business operations and programs at the PFI, at the time of the announcement. 

The PFI recently launched its redesigned website in an effort to better provide accurate and trustworthy information to meet pet parents’ needs. The agency’s goal is to be a primary resource for pet owners to go to for dog and cat nutrition and wellness advice.

“Pet owners need a safe place to find evidence-based nutrition information to make educated decisions on everything from what to feed their pets to how to protect them from the summer heat,” said Kelly Kanaras, director of communications and membership for PFI.

The new website includes a more modern look and user-friendly interface. It contains information on how pet food is regulated, the importance of complete-and-balanced nutrition, and significance of vitamins and minerals in diets. The site also features Vet Talks videos designed to inform pet owners on ingredients, choosing pet food, the dangers of pets being overweight, and more.

Pet Sustainability Coalition 

Source: Pet Sustainability Coalition

After celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2023, the Pet Sustainability Coalition is poised to scale its programs to address the advancement of sustainable ingredients, packaging and corporate social responsibility throughout the pet and pet food industries. Since its founding in 2013, PSC has grown to represent nearly 200 pet product manufacturers, suppliers, brands, distributors and retailers, attracting a broad number of industry leaders seeking to advance sustainability. According to the coalition, its innovative programming has driven significant growth, something it hopes to continue in its next 10 years in operation. 

Jim Lamancusa joined the PSC as executive director in early 2024, taking the reins from Caitlyn Dudas, co-founder and former executive director, who now serves as senior advisor to the PSC. During her 10-year tenure with PSC, Dudas helped drive the coalition to become a leading sustainability organization in the pet industry.

The coalition’s programs support members on their individual sustainable packaging journeys by providing tools and resources to help companies achieve their goals. In addition, the coalition has developed programs and services designed to guide members to success.

Flex Forward — A return-to-retail pilot program, which was completed in 2022, collected more than 8,000 lbs of post-consumer packaging for recycling trials. The program shed some light on challenges presented by the current composition of most pet food packaging.

UnPacked — A bi-annual summit dedicated to packaging. The event brings together packaging experts with pet industry brands, manufacturers and retailers to learn about how to approach one of the industry’s biggest challenges.

Packaging Pledge — A voluntary, industrywide commitment to move toward more sustainable, refillable, compostable and recyclable packaging. The pledge asks pet industry companies to develop measurable goals and track progress toward the use of refillable, compostable and recyclable packaging by the end of 2025. In exchange for their commitment, PSC will provide informational tools to help them achieve their goals.

Packaging Legislation Tracker — This tool provides detailed information about the regulations, which are broken down by region, how the regulations could affect operations, and where to go to find additional information. The Tracker includes a comprehensive overview of over 100 packaging-related regulations in four regions: the United States, with state-by-state data, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

In August, PSC was selected as a sub-awardee of Growing GRASS, a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities Grant project. The initiative supports large-scale projects that promote agricultural practices reducing greenhouse gas emissions or sequestering carbon. USDA is investing $3.1 billion in 141 selected projects under the partnership.

The grant supports PSC’s ongoing mission to advance sustainable ingredient sourcing practices within the pet food industry, according to the association. Through the utilization of regeneratively sourced bison and beef ingredients, pet food brands and manufacturers can help reduce the carbon footprint of production while supporting long-term sustainable sourcing in the industry.

World Pet Association

Source: World Pet Association

Most known for being the organizer of the annual pet industry SUPERZOO tradeshow in Las Vegas, the World Pet Association (WPA) is a non-profit organization with a goal of supporting the industry through education, networking, business tools and research. 

SUPERZOO is an annual gathering for the pet care industry to connect, learn and do business. The show features educational offerings, an easy-to-shop show floor, and a fun-filled atmosphere. More than 16,000 visitors attend the show annually, including more than 1,300 international buyers. While the majority of attendees are retailers (69%), others represent various segments of the industry distribution and wholesale (10%), grooming (8%), pet services (6%), import/export (3%), manufacturing (3%) and veterinary (1%). 

More than 1,100 exhibitors showcase their products and services on the tradeshow floor, featuring more than 900 new products.

As it nears its 75th anniversary, SUPERZOO has a storied history:

• 1950 — Pet supply manufacturers and wholesalers met for the first “Animal Crackers, Inc.” tradeshow in San Francisco.
• 1955 — The show was rebranded at the Annual Western Wholesale Pet Supply Association (WWPSA) Trade Show.
• 1971 — The show was rebranded again as the First International Pet Supply Trade Show for a couple of years but returned to WWPSA after 1972. 
• 1983 — The show location starts rotating along the West Coast and Southwestern states.
• 1990 — The tradeshow moves to Long Beach, Calif.
• 2000 — For the show’s 50th anniversary, the SUPERZOO name debuts.
• 2001 — SUPERZOO relocates to the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
• 2004 — SUPERZOO moves to Las Vegas, where it has been ever since.

Each year, WPA reinvests proceeds from SUPERZOO back into the pet retail industry through the WPA Good Works program. The program was established to help fund organizations that are working for the good of pets and the pet industry as a whole. WPA has donated more than $15 million in the last 15 years and nearly $2 million annually to its causes.

Some of the causes it supports include:

• The Pet Advocacy Network, which promotes positive and healthy pet ownership through advocacy and legislation.
• The Human Animal Bond Research Institute, a non-profit research and education organization that is gathering, funding and sharing scientific research to demonstrate the positive health impacts of companion animals.
• Pets in the Classroom, an educational grant program that provides financial support to teachers to purchase and maintain small animals in the classroom.
• The National Animal Interest Alliance, an association promoting animal welfare, supporting responsible animal use, and strengthening the bond between humans and animals.

WPA also provides its members with a wide array of educational programming and access to timely market research through partnerships with NielsenIQ and Packaged Facts.

Read more news from associations and agencies in the pet food sector.