The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) is calling on beef producers to contribute to sustainability benchmarking data collection by filling out a survey (available in English and French).
What is the National Beef Sustainability Assessment?
When the CRSB was established, it adopted the definition and guiding principles of beef sustainability from the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. The global roundtable is a similar organization working to advance sustainability on a global scale.
Read Also
Growing Canada’s beef herd: CCA’s priorities working with new federal government
This is my first column since the federal election. The Canadian Cattle Association works with all elected officials and parliamentarians, regardless…
Sustainable beef is defined as an environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable product that prioritizes the planet, people, animals and progress.
The five guiding principles provide the basis for defining beef sustainability, all of which are underpinned by the importance of economic viability. They include natural resources, people and the community, animal health and welfare, food and efficiency, and innovation.
To determine how to make progress, we needed to know where we were starting from. Therefore, one of the first initiatives that the CRSB undertook in 2014 was to commission a National Beef Sustainability Assessment. The assessment and accompanying sustainability strategy, released in 2016, provided a comprehensive farm-to-fork baseline of the environmental, social and economic sustainability performance of the Canadian beef industry. It also identified strategic goals to address areas for improvement.
Following international guidelines and standards, the assessment is based on data collected through surveys with producers and packers, as well as consultations with numerous subject matter experts. Secondary data sources complement the primary industry data collected, including extensive literature reviews and statistical data. The assessment study was guided by a CRSB steering committee and reviewed by an external third-party panel of experts.
Why is it important?
The metrics from our first assessment have been widely used to demonstrate Canada’s global sustainability leadership, and have been critical to the beef industry’s communication efforts concerning sustainable beef production over the past five years. The assessment provides concrete, science-based numbers to demonstrate the Canadian beef production system’s sustainability, especially concerning our environmental footprint. Some of the most impactful numbers we consistently use help to dispel misconceptions about beef production in Canada. Just a few examples include:
- Our greenhouse gas footprint (11.4 kg CO2 eq.), which represents only 2.4 per cent of Canada’s total emissions, and in the global context, is less than half the global average.
- The carbon storage and sequestration potential of beef production in Canada (1.5 billion tonnes of carbon stored in land used for beef production).
- Our contribution to biodiversity (68 per cent of the wildlife habitat capacity on only 33 per cent of Canadian agricultural land that is used for beef production).
The sustainability strategy that accompanied the 2016 assessment highlighted key performance indicators and action items to target for continuous improvement. This also informed the industry’s 2030 goals, completed earlier this year.
The survey data collected from farmers and ranchers across Canada is a critical piece to the credibility and success of the environmental, land use and social life cycle assessments.
How do I participate?
You can participate by filling out an NBSA producer survey The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) is calling on beef producers to contribute to sustainability benchmarking data collection by filling out a survey (available in English and French). The survey will be open October 1, 2021, and closes January 7, 2022. We have set a goal of receiving a minimum of 500 completed responses.
Be one of the first 200 producers to complete your survey, and you will receive a $20 gift card as a token of our appreciation for taking the time to contribute.
All completed survey responses will be entered into a random draw for a grand prize of a tag reader ($1,100 value), generously donated by the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency. A series of other amazing prize packs will be awarded via a random draw (by province or region) from all eligible survey respondents. These prizes are valued at a total of nearly $4,000 and are curated from contributions from CRSB members across the beef value chain and beyond.
For more information about the National Beef Sustainability Assessment and strategy visit crsb.ca. Contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
