News from the beef sustainability world

Gordon Food Service Canada Ltd. is very proud to announce that we have incorporated sustainable sourcing for our Gordon Choice boxed beef program, the first to do so in Canada. This means that we support sustainable beef practices in Canada through sourcing a minimum of 30% of the beef for the Gordon Choice line of beef products from CRSB Certified Sustainable farms and ranches across Canada. We invite our customers to join us in our beef sustainability journey, show how you value improvements being made, and help recognize the leadership of Canadian beef to consumers across Canada.

CRSB is extending its temporary exception for Certification Bodies due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This temporary exception allows for auditing to the Sustainable Beef Production Standard and Chain of Custody Requirements, to be conducted remotely, at the discretion of the Certification Body. 

Earlier this year, McDonald's Canada announced to the Canadian beef industry that it would be expanding its commitment to beef sustainability by implementing sustainable sourcing to its Quarter Pounder line of burgers. That promise has come to fruition with a full scale advertising and marketing campaign this week, including in-store marketing and burger packaging.

The CRSB is seeking to staff a Technical Manager to lead its Certification Framework. 

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Technical Manager works closely with CRSB membership and partner organizations.  Collaborating with multiple stakeholders, this position is responsible for planning, developing, maintaining and improving all technical elements of the Framework, including standards, requirements, policies, procedures, guidance and reporting for all product lines and supply chains.

McDonald's Canada will return to sourcing 100 per cent Canadian beef in September 2020, ending the temporary sourcing adjustments announced in late April due to industry constraints.

McDonald's Canada is also continuing its beef sustainability journey by offering Quarter Pounder® patties, from which a portion of the beef (minimum 30 per cent), will be sourced from CRSB certified sustainable Canadian farms and ranches by September 2020.

After careful consideration, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has issued a temporary exception for all Certification Bodies.

This temporary exception allows for auditing to the Sustainable Beef Production Standard and Chain of Custody Requirements, to be conducted remotely, at the discretion of the Certification Body. For situations that do not allow for an on-site or remote audit to be completed, a six-month extension may be granted for operations requiring recertification. 

With the COVID-19 situation rapidly evolving, and physical distancing measures in place across the country, we wanted to provide you with an update on what the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is doing.

We are actively assessing our programs and initiatives, in particular the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework, as we do our part to minimize the spread of the Coronavirus. We will share further information and developments in the coming weeks.

Canada’s leaders in steak excellence, Chop Steakhouse & Bar, has officially been granted the CRSB Certified (Mass Balance) Mark for one of the restaurant’s favourite menu items, The Chop Burger. Displaying the CRSB Certified Mark with the burger sees Chop become the first full-service restaurant in Canada to have a CRSB sourcing claim on their menu, demonstrating the company’s support of sustainable beef production in Canada.

JBS Canada has achieved another milestone in its on-going commitment to sustainable food production.  The beef processing facility in Brooks, AB is now a Certified Sustainable Beef Processor, after successfully completing a third-party audit according to the Sustainable Beef Processing Standard as set by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has released its annual report, highlighting key achievements over the past year. Launched in 2018, the CRSB developed the first outcome-based certification program for beef sustainability in the world and uptake is steadily increasing. The organization also launched an online sustainability projects inventory and, through its partnership with MultiSAR, Cows and Fish, beef producer associations and the Species at Risk on Agricultural Lands program, has worked with 17 ranches and implemented 32 habitat improvements covering 189,000 acres in the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta.