Industry leaders establish Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef

Leaders from across various industries have come together to form the first Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). With over 68,500 beef farms contributing more than $33 billion to Canada’s economy and conserving over 50 million acres of Canada’s environmentally significant grasslands, the Roundtable aims to be a leader in the continuous improvement and sustainability of the beef value chain. Fundamental to the success of the Roundtable will be science-based information, multi-stakeholder engagement, communication and collaboration.

“The Roundtable represents a breakthrough for the Canadian beef industry,” said Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, Chair of the CRSB. “It’s important for industry stakeholders to come together to combine their expertise to ensure the industry remains economically viable, environmentally sound and socially responsible for future generations.”

The CRSB will lead a national forum dedicated to connecting a network of local, regional and national leaders in the beef industry and provide stakeholders with an equal opportunity through seats at the Roundtable.

Currently the Roundtable is undertaking a project to benchmark the sustainability of the Canadian beef industry as well as set strategic targeted goals for continual improvement. Initial outcomes of this project will be presented at the CRSB annual general meeting which will be held in the fall of 2014. Meeting dates will be announced soon.

Membership in the Roundtable includes agriculture businesses, processors, beef producers, retailers, foodservice operators, NGOs among other industry sectors. Founding members include Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, McDonald’s Canada, World Wildlife Federation, Cargill, JBS, Loblaws Companies Limited, Costco and more. To view the full membership, find out how to become a member and for more information on the CRSB visit www.crsb.ca

 About the CRSB:
Established in 2014, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) is a multi-stakeholder initiative which includes three technical working groups: the CRSB Development Task Force, the Sustainability Assessment Working Group and the Communication Working group.