Credit being offered to beef producer to maintain CRSB certification

Apr 03, 2024

The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) will provide funds to beef producers to maintain their CRSB Certification.

The credit of up to $400 will be provided for another year to assist Canadian beef producers who have made the upfront investment of becoming CRSB Certified but did not receive at least $400 in financial return for qualifying cattle processed in 2023 as part of the existing Qualifying Cattle Credits.

CRSB has once again partnered with Cargill along with Centennial Food Solutions, Gordon Food Service, Intercity Packers, MacGregors Meat and Seafood, McDonald’s Canada, Metro, Recipe Unlimited, and Walmart.

Ryan Beierbach, CRSB Chair and a beef producer from Whitewood, Sask., said the support from partnering organizations is appreciated.

“In 2024, CRSB will prioritize identifying long-term solutions to ensure certification provides financial value and enduring benefit to producer participation,” Beierbach said. “We think the CRSB Certified program is one important tool for the Canadian beef sector to demonstrate continuous improvement, and the CRSB hopes other organizations will formally recognize its value.”

The credit will only apply to operations who have not already received at least $400 in Qualifying Cattle Credits. The credit will be paid to CRSB Certified operations regardless of whether their qualifying cattle were ultimately sold into Cargill.

In 2014, McDonald’s committed to begin sourcing a portion of its beef from sustainable sources in 2016. Cargill participated as a core member of the McDonald’s Sustainable Beef Pilot project team focusing on the beef supply chain from cows all the way through beef processing.

McDonald’s Restaurants Head of Supply Chain Hope Bentley said the company is proud of how the program continues to grow.

“We would like to thank and recognize all of the producers who are working within the CRSB’s framework to make the beef industry even more resilient,” Bentley said.

Qualifying operations do not need to apply separately for this credit and can expect their payment this month provided the operation maintains an active certification status at the start of the year.

Cargill’s Eliza Clark said the company wanted to ensure the viability of this program.

“We are also grateful for the many Cargill customers who have contributed to our combined investment of this initiative. It is their support of programs like the CRSB Certified Sustainable Beef Framework that allows us to create and sustain high standards for sustainability practices across the Canadian beef supply chain,” Clark said.

Additional information on this Certification Recognition Credit, as well as the existing Qualifying Cattle Credits can be found here.

Click here to see more...

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.