EDMONTON — The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) launched the much-anticipated Certified Sustainable Beef Framework today at its 2017 Annual Meeting. A world first, the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework was developed as one of the key areas of work the CRSB undertakes to support the advancement of sustainability in the Canadian beef industry.
“The Certified Sustainable Beef Framework was developed by the diverse membership community of the CRSB,” says Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, chair of the CRSB. “It is a voluntary program that enables producers and processors to demonstrate the sustainability of their operations while at the same time supporting the retail and foodservice industry in their sustainable beef-sourcing efforts.”
The framework is centered around two standards for measuring sustainability in beef production and processing across the five Global Principles of Sustainable Beef — Natural Resources, People & Community, Animal Health & Welfare, Food and Efficiency & Innovation. The framework also includes chain-of-custody requirements, assurance protocols and a series of sustainability claims.
Similar to sustainable-sourcing programs in other industries, the mission of the framework is to drive the advancement and recognition of beef sustainability in Canada through a world-class operation-level certification program.
“We know that consumers want to know more about where their food comes from and how it was raised, and that Canadian farmers and ranchers want to better communicate with them. The framework is one tool that will enable stronger communication between these two parties while at the same time recognizing and advancing sustainable-agricultural operations in Canada,” adds Copithorne-Barnes.
The CRSB is a multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to advancing sustainability and supporting continuous improvement in the Canadian beef industry. The roundtable has three main areas of work: sustainability benchmarking, the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework and sustainability projects.
