In case you haven’t heard or been watching TV, it’s been an exciting few weeks for the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) and our beef supply chain partners. We have shared a number of exciting announcements building momentum for the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework going into 2021. These show real supply chain demand for beef from CRSB Certified farms and ranches, and we have some heavy-hitter partners across the beef supply chain keen on sharing the positive impact of Canadian beef production, like McDonalds Canada, Gordon Food Service, Ontario Corn Fed Beef’s Quality Assurance program, Cargill’s Guelph facility and Loblaws!
HINT: Winter might be a good time to consider getting certified!
McDonald’s Canada celebrates the future of beef ranching
McDonald’s continues its beef sustainability campaign complementing its sustainable sourcing in Quarter Pounders®, with a lovely beef sustainability campaign featuring the next generation of ranchers and their definition of sustainability; the importance of the grasslands, embracing the knowledge and passion of their ancestors, while making improvements for tomorrow. These ads (as well as Quarter Pounder ones) are running on prime time TV through the end of December. You can also check them out on their YouTube channel, but clicking here.
There is also supporting content, for example, in Huffington Post and Reader’s Digest, which you may have seen pop up in your internet or social media streams.
Gordon Food Service commits to beef sustainability in its Gordon Choice boxed beef program
In late November, Gordon Food Service Canada Ltd. entered the beef sustainability sourcing game, being the first in Canada to feature CRSB Certified sourcing (mass balance) in its Gordon Choice brand’s boxed beef program. The CRSB Certified mass balance logo is now featured on 17 items in the Gordon Choice’s boxed beef program. CRSB has been working closely with the Gordon’s team, and there are exciting things to come, as they market this opportunity with their restaurant and foodservice partners across Canada.
Ontario Corn Fed Beef approved as CRSB Certification Body for Ontario Feedlots
The CRSB is pleased to announce that the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program has successfully completed an assessment by the CRSB’s Oversight Body, NSF International, and has been approved as a Certification Body for the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework’s Sustainable Beef Production Standard for beef feedlot operations in Ontario.
"Partnering with CRSB provides our producers an opportunity to supply beef from CRSB Certified farms and be recognized for their dedication to responsible beef production. With over 500 feedlots in Ontario already certified under the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance program and strong retail and foodservice partners who have been very clear in their desire to source beef from certified sustainable farms in Ontario, we have a strong base to start with,” says Jim Clark, Executive Director of Ontario Cattle Feeders Association and the Ontario
Corn Fed Beef program.
Full announcement here. Check out the story in Ontario Beef’s magazine, including FAQs for producers here.
Cargill’s Guelph Beef Processing Facility now sourcing beef from Certified Sustainable farms and ranches across Canada
Expansion of Cargill’s implementation of the CRSB’s Certified Sustainable Beef Framework is now a reality. In addition to its CRSB certification, the Guelph beef processing facility has also completed a successful audit to the CRSB’s Chain of Custody requirements. With this additional building block in place, Cargill is poised to actively source beef from CRSB Certified Sustainable beef operations across Canada for both its High River and Guelph facilities.
This expansion allows Cargill to deliver on sustainability claims for its Canadian retail
and foodservice partners nationally. This also means that Cargill is awarding financial
credits for cattle that qualify at both High River and Guelph facilities, rewarding those
producers who have had their sustainable practices verified as meeting CRSB
requirements. Through these financial incentives, Cargill and its customer partners are thanking these producers for doing their part to raise animals and care for their beef operations
according to CRSB’s standards, across all five principles of beef sustainability: natural
resources; people and community; animal health and welfare; food, and efficiency and
innovation.
Read more here, including some FAQs about what it means for beef producers, how to participate in Cargill’s sustainable beef sourcing, and benefitting from the financial credits being offered by Cargill’s retail and foodservice customers (McDonald’s, Loblaw, Cactus Restaurants, Harveys, Chop Steakhouse & Bar, and Gordon Food Service.
Loblaw becomes first Canadian retailer to purchase beef from CRSB Certified Sustainable Farms and Ranches
Loblaw Companies Limited announced its purchase of one million pounds of beef from CRSB Certified farms and ranches. As the first Canadian retailer to do so, Loblaw is reaffirming its commitment to sustainable sourcing and the Canadian beef industry.
Loblaw was a founding member of the CRSB, and has been a key contributor in developing standards to measure, set strategic goals and recognize sustainable practices that also rewards Canadian beef producers for their on-going sustainability efforts at the farm level. The beef purchased was raised on Certified Sustainable farms and ranches that meet the sustainability standards set by the CRSB, and sourced using a mass balance system, whereby the beef sourced as CRSB Certified will be incorporated into Loblaw's overall beef purchases. Read the full news release here.
Be sure to follow us and subscribe to our newsletter to get the inside scoop from CRSB. Join us on Twitter and Instagram: @CRSB_beef or Facebook: CRSBbeef
Comments