What kind of appropriate action would ward off massive meat shortages?

"Critics have said American meat processors are partly to blame for their vulnerabilities. Decades of consolidation have left the nation’s food supply in the hands of relatively few companies. And labor groups have long criticized meatpacking plants for pushing to increase production speeds at the expense of worker safety."

"The pandemic has stretched global supply chains to the breaking point, leaving products piling up in some ports and warehouses, while elsewhere cargo ships are sailing empty. The disruptions have been catastrophic for American farmers. [In addition] Closings of restaurants and school cafeterias have dampened demand for meat, milk and cheese, while shuttered meatpacking plants prevent pork chops and hamburgers from getting to market."

I've pulled just a few passages, including the ones above, from an April 28 New York Times report headlined, Trump Declares Meat Supply ‘Critical,’ Aiming to Reopen Plants. Read the full report to understand more about the obstacles facing a federally mandated order meant to avert meat shortages. 

In short, the executive order sounds good on paper, but right now it's just words.     

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Tuesday declared meat processing plants “critical infrastructure,” in an effort to ensure that facilities around the country remained open as the government tried to prevent looming shortages of pork, chicken and other products as a result of the coronavirus.

The action comes as meat plants around the country have turned into coronavirus hot spots, sickening thousands of workers, and after the head of Tyson Foods, one of the country’s largest processors, warned that millions of pounds of meat would simply disappear from the supply chain.

In an executive order issued late Tuesday, Mr. Trump said recent closures of meat processing facilities “threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency.

”The president said his administration would “take all appropriate action” to ensure that meat and poultry processors “continue operations” consistent with federal health and workplace safety guidance.

[...]

The Labor Department and OSHA also indicated that the federal government would assert authority over states, which have ordered many businesses to close.

“No part of the joint meat processing guidance should be construed to indicate that state and local authorities may direct a meat and poultry processing facility to close, to remain closed or to operate in accordance with procedures other than those provided for in this guidance,” the statement said.

[...]

********