The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) held its bi-annual conference in Banff, Alberta October 4-7 in conjunction with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). This two-day conference plus one-day pre-tour was an opportunity for Canada to showcase the work our industry has done on sustainably to the world. There were more than 200 attendees from 15 different countries representing producer organizations, retail/foodservice companies, processing, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and individual farms/ranches.
Much of the discussion was around showing how sustainable beef production is and ways that we can continuously improve in the future. Sustainable beef is defined by the GRSB (and CRSB) as “a socially responsible, environmentally sound and economically viable product that prioritizes planet, people, animals and progress."
Some points that I thought were really interesting from the speakers and discussion included:
- Dr
David Hughes (UK) – The margin in beef is in the adjectives and people pick the
cheapest product at the grocery store because the differences in the product
are not described there.
- Cameron
Brunet (USA) – Roundtables need to promote the truth and promote progress.
- Dr Martin Scholten (NETH) – There is no space for food waste anymore.
Canada’s National Beef Sustainability Assessment and Strategy was released at the conference. This project was years in the making and was done “to gain a comprehensive understanding of the sustainability performance of the Canadian beef industry, as well as to identify opportunities for improvement,” (Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, Chair CRSB). Full information on the report and the next steps are available at http://crsb.ca/our-work/sustainability-benchmark
Canada is recognized as a leader in these discussions and has one of the best functioning roundtables to date. The CCA has done a tremendous job putting the CRSB into motion and Canadian Angus is proud to be an active member of the CRSB, allowing our members interests and voice to be heard during these discussions. If you have any further questions or want more information, please feel free to contact me at chazenberg@cdnangus.ca or at (705) 768-7906.
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| The pre-tour visited CL Ranch |
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| Michael Latimer, Executive Director of Canadian Beef Breeds Council, made a presentation at SSS Cattle Co during the pre-tour |
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| Cheryl also presented at SSS Cattle Co |
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| Our President David Sibbald with his wife Mary Beth and son Dylan |
Posted by Cheryl Hazenberg
Feedback: chazenberg@cdnangus.ca
