The Beef Cattle Code of Practice sets the standard of care for beef cattle in Canada. It covers topics such as housing, feed and water, handling, euthanasia, transport, and other important management practices. The Beef Code focuses on achieving successful standards while allowing for flexibility in how outcomes are met rather than dictating all the processes or methods to be used. The Code recognizes that responsible care can be achieved through different approaches depending on context and operation type.
The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) oversees Code of Practice development and review through a structured, multi-stakeholder process that includes producers, veterinarians, scientists, transporters, processors, retailers, government, and animal welfare representatives. The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is a member of NFACC and serves as the national commodity organization responsible for initiating the code review process for its sector.
The first Code of Practice for beef cattle was published in 1991. It was later updated and re-released in 2013 as the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle. A five-year review was completed in 2018, and a subsequent update to the beef cattle Code was initiated in 2023.
The review process involves two committees: the Code Development Committee and Scientific Committee. The Code Development Committee updates the Code if required and the Scientific Committee reviews literature to determine priority welfare issues and summarizes the available research for the Code Committee. Science-informed, industry leadership on code development, reviews, and revisions ensures a code that reflects an animal care standard that is grounded in practicality while considering the diversity of Canadian beef cattle producers.
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