Over the last decade, the evolution of the cattle industry has brought a noticeable shift away from the commodity, cash-based cattle market toward coordinated, value-based opportunities. The industry's push to add value to counter ever-tightening profit margins has made alliances more popular.

BEEF magazine has offered its readers a listing of industry alliances since 1998. The list has changed significantly over the course of the past eight years, and while it doesn't include every alliance available, it contains a fairly extensive sampling of all types.

Most alliances fit into three broad categories — breed-based, commercial and natural.

These further break down into two sections — consumer-based and calf-based programs:

• Consumer-based programs focus on finding, feeding and marketing cattle according to pre-defined consumer product specifications.
• Calf-based programs focus on procuring calves that fit specific value requirements.

For more information on alliances, or to look up past alliance listings, visit www.beef-mag.com. To learn first-hand about beef marketing channels at the Beef Quality Summit in Oklahoma City, Nov. 14-15, see page 4 of this issue, or visit www.beefconference.com.

Click below to download a PDF of the 2006 Alliance Yellow Pages.