The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) is seeking the public’s comments on the first draft of its sustainability “indicators” for beef operations. The indicators are part of the verified sustainable beef framework the organization is developing, and reflect what will be measured in terms of sustainability on individual operations. The public consultation will take place from February 9 to April 10, 2016; the materials and instructions for comment can be found at:
http://crsb.ca/public-consultation-english/.
“The CRSB has developed indicators that are relevant for cow-calf, backgrounding, feedlot and dairy beef operations. We encourage people and organizations to review the work we’ve done and give us constructive feedback,” said Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, Chair of the CRSB and a producer west of Calgary, Alberta. “We realize that the sustainability of the Canadian beef industry reaches many stakeholders and we want to ensure all perspectives are taken into account.”
All comments will be reviewed, and a written response to each comment will be posted on the organization’s website following the consultation. The second draft of the indicators will be released for a 30-day public comment period in mid-2016.
Page Stuart, a cattle feeder and the Past Chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, and Tim Hardman, Beef Director with the World Wildlife Fund, co-chaired the committee that developed the indicators. “The committee members brought a wide range of perspectives to the table. We had very productive discussions and unanimously reached consensus. Our goal was to identify draft indicators that are robust and outcome-based, which I believe we have done,” explained Hardman. “We wanted to have a balance—something realistic for producers that also meets the needs of retailers, food service providers and consumers. I think we have achieved that. I look forward to the feedback we receive over the next 60 days,” added Stuart.
The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) is a multi-stakeholder initiative developed to advance sustainability efforts within the industry. The CRSB is the go-to forum on sustainable beef in Canada. It has defined “sustainable beef” and is rapidly setting the framework for stakeholders to be able to produce and source verified sustainable beef.
Source : CRSB