CCA Updates Following CCA Semi-Annual Meeting

The Canadian Cattle Association system of governance is a policy board, meaning that directors are responsible for setting policy and monitoring it for relevancy, accuracy, and achievement over time. CCA has five committees: Animal Health and Care; Domestic Agriculture; Environment; Food Policy; and Foreign Trade. These committees cover the subjects that affect Canadian beef cattle competitiveness and opportunity. Each committee has a chair and vice chair, and is assigned staff who support the committee and are responsible for monitoring developments and activities relevant to the committee, conducting necessary research, arranging guest speakers and expert consultation as needed, and leading or guiding the CCA work to achieve desired outcomes.

In our current structure, all board members sit on at least one or two committees, but committees also engage other expertise including members from associated organizations and other industry organizations such as the Livestock Markets Association of Canada, National Cattle Feeders Association, and others.

Below are committee updates and highlights from the semi-annual meeting in Winnipeg, August 17–20.

Animal Health and Care

What is the committee responsible for?

The Animal Health and Care Committee supports the CCA Board of Directors by monitoring current issues and trends in animal health, animal care, and welfare, including relevant legislation and regulation, research, and international standards bodies, and by debating and recommending CCA policy positions. The Committee promotes policies that mitigate the threat of foreign animal diseases, protect the health of Canada’s domestic cattle herd, and strengthen confidence that Canadian beef production practices support animal welfare. It advances disease prevention and preparedness through biosecurity, surveillance, and traceability, and advocates for practical, feasible approaches that support market access and do not unnecessarily impede trade.

Highlights from the committee meeting

• Reviewed and supported the draft WISE Antimicrobial Stewardship Framework, which focuses on improving animal health as the foundation of stewardship.

• Passed a resolution recommending endorsement of the WISE Framework for stakeholder consultation and feedback.

• Received an update on the Beef Code of Practice revision process and discussed key issues emerging from stakeholder feedback.

• Discussed FMD disease preparedness, including response planning and producer response responsibilities.

• Reviewed principles for animal disease outbreak compensation, emphasizing need for timely payments, fair valuation, and a transparent appeals process for producers.

• Received an update on CFIA's Enhanced Feed Ban Harmonization (SRM) consultation and CCA's position on the proposal.

• Received an update from the Traceability Task Force as it works to develop an industry-led, practical traceability framework.

Domestic Agriculture Policy and Regulations

The Canadian Cattle Association’s Domestic Agriculture Policy and Regulations Committee deals with a wide range of domestic regulatory issues and general government policy such as business risk management programs, tax and succession planning, research and more. 

Highlights from the committee meeting

Next Policy Framework:

Consultations continue on the Next Policy Framework that will guide federal, provincial, and territorial agriculture programs from 2028–2033, replacing the current Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. This framework directly impacts cattle producers by shaping key sector programs and funding including business risk management (BRM) programs, research, market development and trade advocacy activities, on-farm assurance and certification programs, and more. 

Tyler McCann with the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) provided the committee with broader strategic perspectives, followed by a provincial and stakeholder roundtable. The committee discussed next steps, largely focused on BRM programs. CCA is pleased to see the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ag Ministers take steps to improve AgriStability through the announcements at the July 2027 Halifax FPT Ministers meeting. CCA will continue to advocate to see these program changes finalized and implemented, and continue to advocate for equitable BRM programming for the cattle sector by making Livestock Price Insurance (LPI) a permanent program with government cost-shared premiums. 

Succession and Tax Planning:

Succession planning continues to be a growing topic of importance to Canada’s cattle industry. CCA is participating in a tax competitiveness study by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce that will compare Canada's tax environment with that of the United States. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is coordinating the agricultural sector participation. CFA’s Brodie Berrigan presented to the committee on the upcoming study. Earlier this summer, CCA agreed to contribute funds to the agriculture-specific component of the study alongside other agriculture groups. The study is expected to be complete in late September/early October to support advocacy efforts.

Ryan Kehrig with MNP presented on farm succession rollover tax rules and provided the committee information on how the rules do not currently apply to extended family such as nieces, nephews and stepchildren. There does seem to be interest from the government in exploring such a change, partially due to the precedent set in Bill C-208. There was also discussion on the lifetime capital gains exemption limit and whether its current indexing to inflation keeps pace with the realities of farms and ranches. The committee passed a policy for CCA to lobby for the federal government to expand the farm rollover provisions to include extended family such as aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and stepchildren. The committee plans for continued succession planning exploration and discussion at the March 2027 AGM.  

Interprovincial Trade of Meat:

The committee discussed the CFIA’s consultation on proposed regulatory amendments to make it easier to move red meat from one province to another where there is unmet slaughter capacity by offering targeted, time-limited exemptions to livestock producers and provincial slaughter establishments. Currently, only federally inspected plants can move red meat between provinces. The goal is to allow provincial slaughter establishments to test interprovincial market opportunities and determine whether pursuing a federal licence makes business sense before the exemption period ends.

CFIA staff attended virtually to field questions from the committee. Canadian beef exports exceed $11 billion annually and access depends heavily on our trading partners’ confidence in Canada’s federal inspection system. The committee passed policy that the CCA supports expanded interprovincial meat trade within Canada, provided it does not compromise existing food safety standards for imported or exported meat, while safeguarding Canada's import and export market access agreements and international trade reputation. This policy formed the basis of CCA's consultation submission following the meeting. 

Environment

What is the committee responsible for?

The committee's work focuses on ensuring that policies related to climate change, biodiversity, grasslands, soil carbon, water, species at risk and ecosystem goods and services are practical, science-based and compatible with cattle production. The Environment Committee advocates for voluntary, incentive-based approaches that recognize the environmental stewardship already provided by beef producers and keep farmers and ranchers directly involved in policy and program development.

Notable Speakers:

• Vanessa Charlwood, Mark Hovorka and Courtney Robertson, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC): discussing Canada’s Nature Strategy and potential pathways for recognizing working cattle landscapes as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures or OECMs.

• Tyler McCann, Executive Director, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI): providing an update on the development of a cross-sector Agri-Environmental Framework to use in Next Policy Framework advocacy.

Highlights from the committee meeting

The committee discussed how sustainably managed native grasslands, including private and Crown grazing lands, could be recognized for their long-term biodiversity benefits without being over-regulated or designated as protected areas. Members stressed that participation in any OECM pathway must be voluntary, flexible and producer-led. It must remain compatible with grazing management, drought response, financing, land values and continued agricultural production. The committee also emphasized the need for meaningful incentives, recognition of ecosystem goods and services, regional flexibility, and safeguards to ensure public conservation funding does not compete with producers for agricultural land. CCA will continue working with ECCC, producers and conservation organizations to explore a practical pathway that recognizes stewardship while maintaining producer autonomy and economic viability.

Members discussed ongoing work to position environmental sustainability as a core part of agricultural risk management and sector resilience, rather than as a separate or competing objective in the Next Policy Framework. The proposed framework, led by CAPI, is organized around five pillars of climate, soil health, water management, land use and biodiversity, and One Health. It calls for better coordination among governments and industry, outcome-based measurement, targeted investment, stronger advisory capacity and regionally tailored delivery.

Finally, members reviewed CCA policies related to conservation agreements, species at risk and agricultural plastics, and received updates on sustainability disclosure standards, Richardson’s ground squirrel control, elk damage and northern food security, Aboriginal title developments, and CCA’s relationship with Cows and Fish.

Food Policy

What is this committee responsible for?

The Food Policy Committee is designed to monitor, shape and advocate policies that accurately represent the beef industry. The committee’s work is broad and covers multiple agencies and files ranging from labelling, nutrition, international policy, and emerging technologies.

Highlights from the committee meeting

At the semi-annual meeting, the committee examined how beef is labelled, marketed, and perceived by consumers. The committee's mandate includes monitoring food policy developments, labelling requirements, consumer trends, and initiatives that help maintain confidence in Canadian beef. 

Committee members welcomed presentations from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), Canada Beef, Public and Stakeholder Engagement, and the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC). Speakers included Lara Boulanger-Stewart and Laura Reid of CFIA, Kent Bacus of NCBA, Mark Klassen of Canada Beef, Amie Peck of Public and Stakeholder Engagement, and Reynold Bergen of BCRC. 

A significant portion of the meeting focused on food labelling and Canadian content claims. CFIA representatives reviewed current requirements and emphasized that claims such as "Product of Canada" must be accurate, truthful, and not misleading. Members also emphasized the need for accurate beef product labelling. 

The committee received updates on U.S. initiatives aimed at strengthening American beef processing capacity, as well as consumer research related to beef quality, GLP-1 medications, and Halal certification. Presentations highlighted that consumers continue to place a high value on nutrition, trust, and product quality when making food purchasing decisions. 

The BCRC also provided updates on efforts to reduce foreign objects in cattle and Canada's National Beef Quality Audit, which will help identify opportunities for continuous improvement across the industry. Producers were encouraged to report incidents through the HACCP Proactive VBP+ portal to support industry analysis and extension efforts.

Foreign Trade

What is the committee responsible for?

The Foreign Trade Committee focuses on maintaining and expanding market access for Canadian beef and cattle around the world. The committee monitors international trade negotiations, trade barriers, regulatory issues, and market access opportunities to help ensure Canadian producers remain competitive in key export markets.

Highlights from the committee meeting

Committee members received updates from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, as well as representatives from Global Affairs Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Discussions provided members with insight into evolving trade and political developments in the United States, CUSMA, Mercosur negotiations, and CPTPP accession discussions.

A significant portion of the meeting focused on Canada's trade priorities and ongoing market access negotiations. Members discussed Mercosur negotiations. The committee also reviewed developments related to Uruguay's accession to CPTPP and the potential implications for Canadian beef trade. 

Items of particular interest to producers included concerns about non-tariff trade barriers, market access for Canadian genetics, and the importance of science-based trade rules.

The committee advanced new policy supporting opposition to trade restrictions on animal health products and production technologies that are not supported by sound scientific evidence and endorsed advocacy efforts to improve access for Canadian embryos and semen in the European Union market.