To be eligible for the $400 CRSB Certified Producer Incentive, producers must maintain and update their certification as of June 30, 2026 or have been CRSB-certified between Jan. 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 and have completed all related eligibility requirements, including:

• agreeing to share information with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) for chain of custody purposes
• submitting cattle birth dates into the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS)
• submitting move-in events on the CLTS
• moved in cattle are to be from CRSB certified operations to maintain chain integrity

Producers can expect the payments in October.

“(The incentive) serves as a thank you from the CRSB and its supply chain partners that the investments beef producers have made to become certified do not go unnoticed,” said CRSB chair Ryan Beierbach in a press release.

In 2023, the CRSB ran a pilot credit program funded by Cargill, which provided a top-up payment to producers who received less than $400 for qualifying cattle in 2022.

“The Cargill Recognition Credit was provided in collaboration with the CRSB, with the intention that this CRSB Certified Producer Incentive would replace it,” said Andrea White, CRSB director of marketing and stakeholder relations in an email to Glacier FarmMedia.

The new incentive will also pay out a full $400, regardless of where cattle were processed, rather than topping up producer payments, White said.

The incentive is also aimed at upholding CRSB sustainability standards in production and processing focused on the principles of natural resources, people and the community, animal health and welfare, food, and efficiency and innovation.

The incentive is set to continue annually with payments determined by amounts of CRSB Certified beef sold by enrolled producers. Funds will be distributed evenly amongst the eligible producers.

There are 1,243 farms and ranches that are CRSB Certified, encompassing 4.8 million acres of grazing land across the country. There are nine companies that source this beef, the CRSB website shows.

To become certified, a producer has to go through a certification body – either Verified Beef Production Plus or Where Food Comes From – which performs a risk assessment based on the findings from an on-site audit of the operation. The operation must meet a minimum level of “Achievement” on the principles of sustainable beef to become certified. Producers may also have to undergo pre-certification training.

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That’s what CRSB executive director Monica Hadarits had to say at the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing held this week in Edmonton.

In July of 2024, the CRSB’s consumer research found a positive outlook on the industry from consumers. They surveyed around 2000 Canadians asking for their thoughts on the industry and about the National Beef Sustainability Assessment, which CRSB put out in January of 2024.

They found that 92 per cent of Canadians eat beef, up two per cent from 2022. They also found that 55 per cent of people say the industry’s sustainability is excellent or good, 28 per cent called it acceptable, 11 per cent were unsure and six per cent say it is poor or very poor. That number has gone down four per cent from 2022.

Thirty-four per cent of respondents said they have a good idea of what makes beef sustainable, 46 per cent said they don’t know much about beef sustainabilty but are okay with that, and 20 per cent said they don’t know and would like to learn more

When asked what they most want to learn about the beef industry, 69 per cent said they wanted to know more about animal health and welfare, 57 per cent wanted to know about the safe production of food and 49 per cent said they wanted to learn how beef production contributes to maintaining or enhancing wildlife habitat and biodiversity, among other things.

Hadarits said this data will help them continue to teach consumers about the industry — especially about sustainability.

“The way that we use this information at CRSB is to share it with folks like yourselves, but also to help us in our communications and marketing strategies,” she said. “When we’re working through the next year, really focusing on those that say it’s acceptable because they’re kind of on the fence, and then those that are unsure.”

She said they also want to spend more time connecting with producers.

“We have heard pretty loud and clear the last year that we need to be in front of producers more, and so we’re working through strategies on that. We’re a very small staff … but you are the foundation of our industry, so that’s something that we’ve committed to working on and doing better on.”

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The grocer said in a release that from now on, the CRSB Certified Mass Balance mark will be displayed on all beef products across its Platinum Grill Angus Canadian AAA Beef Program, available in all 131 Metro stores in Ontario.

The CRSB Certified program provides credible assurances for the production, processing and sourcing of beef through certified supply chains in Canada. This means verifying outcomes across five areas of sustainability that include conserving and enhancing natural resources (land, water and air); supporting people and communities; best practices in animal care; food safety and quality, and embracing efficiencies and innovation that foster continual improvement.

Metro Ontario said these focus areas align closely with “multiple elements” of its priorities when it comes to responsible procurement.

Ryan Beierbach, chair of the CRSB and a CRSB Certified rancher from Saskatchewan said in a release that by displaying the CRSB Certified Mass Balance mark on-pack, “Metro shows their customers they are making positive contributions through their food choices.”

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The program, piloted last year, tops up payments of Cargill’s qualifying cattle credits for animals processed in 2023 to $400. It will be paid to certified operations regardless of if those cattle were ultimately sold to Cargill, the CRSB said in a news release today.

Producers who received $400 or more in credits last year won’t qualify.

Operations don’t need to apply for the top-up credit, the CRSB said. If they had an active certification at the beginning of the year, they can expect payment in April.

Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef chair Ryan Beierbach thanked Cargill and its customers.

“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,” he said in the news release.

While demand for certified sustainable beef is reportedly high, the program has seen criticism for low return on investment to cattle producers.

Animals have also been found to ‘drop out’ of the certification system, which requires them to pass through certified operations at every step on the value chain—one factor behind updates to the CRSB’s tracking system late last year.

“In 2024, CRSB will prioritize identifying long-term solutions to ensure certification provides financial value and enduring benefit to producer participation,” Beierbach said.

Funding for the CRSB Certification Recognition Credit is provided by Cargill, Centennial Food Solutions, Gordon Food Service, Intercity Packers, MacGregors Meat & Seafood, McDonald’s Canada, Metro, Recipe Unlimited and Walmart

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“It’s exciting to see the 15 per cent reduction in GHG emissions intensity, which puts us on track to achieve the 33 per cent reduction 2030 goal that the industry has set,” wrote Ryan Beierbach, chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

The roundtable published the report in the third week of January and pointed to increased efficiencies in the beef sector, which they say played into the improved numbers. The assessment reflects three years of scientific analysis highlighting the Canadian beef sector’s progress between 2014 and 2021. Factors included in the study spanned GHG emissions, biodiversity, carbon storage, human health and safety, animal care, economic contributions and more.

The study also pointed to areas the sector could still improve.

“We look forward to further collaborations and innovations to make a positive impact and meet our goals for the Canadian beef industry’s social, economic and environmental performance,” Beierbach said.

The report also reveals that land used for beef cattle production is estimated to store 1.9 billion tonnes of soil organic carbon, or 40 per cent of total soil carbon across the country’s ag landscape.

According to the CRSB, this is equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from over two billion cars.

“This report on the Canadian beef industry’s advancements in sustainability is an important tool to track the sector’s progress towards its 2030 goals,” wrote federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay in a news release.

“We can all be proud of the industry’s commitment to taking action to reduce their environmental footprint without compromising their high standards and commitment to quality they’re known for.”

The report also noted that beef land provides the majority of habitat wildlife needs for both reproduction (74 per cent) and feeding (55 per cent) when all of Canada’s crop and pastureland is considered. Despite an overall loss of wildlife habitat on Canada’s pasture and cropland, beef’s share in the remaining habitat land has increased.

The report “highlights the important role that beef production plays for preserving critical wildlife habitat and Canada’s grasslands,” wrote Brad Downey, chair of the CRSB’s scientific advisory committee.

“This report also enables transparency of the beef industry to the public and confirms significant progress based on sound data that sets the stage for meeting many of the Canadian beef industry’s 2030 goals through purposeful, science-based actions.”

—Jeff Melchior is a reporter with the Alberta Farmer Express.

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“This update sets us up for continued progress to support beef farmers and supply chain participants to build trust in the
sustainability of Canadian beef,” said Kristine Tapley, chair of CRSB’s Framework Committee, in a new release.

The framework was launched in 2017 as a bid to recognize and monetize sustainable beef production practices. It came up for a scheduled five-year review in 2022.

The CRSB said a committee, composed of representatives from across the beef supply chain, reviewed all parts of the framework. It also got input from stakeholders, experts and the public.

This included a thorough review of the CRSB’s standards for production and processing; strengthened and protocols for certification to improve clarity and consistency; updates to chain of custody requirements; and how CRSB claims are enabled.

The claims associated with certified operations and sourced CRSB certified beef were also updated.

As of October, the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is providing tracking of live cattle (outside of Quebec) for the program.

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On May 24, the company announced its FCC Sustainability Incentive Program. The program promises a yearly payment to producers who are certified through the CRSB, up to maximum of $2,000. Producers can reapply for the payment each year that the program is in force, according to FCC.

The CRSB has more demand for certified sustainable beef than can be reliably supplied by the current value chain. The roundtable says incentive programs like the one just announced by Farm Credit Canada might help close the gap.

Curtis Grainger, FCC’s director of lending products and sustainability, said actual value of those payments will vary, based on a calculation using the amount of lending a client has with FCC.

The program will extend both to new CRSB-certified clients, as well as those already partway through paying back loans, Grainger added. The program will, however, initially be more focused on those who already have CRSB certification.

“It takes producers about six to nine months to get certified, so this first launch is all about essentially recognizing people for all the great things they’ve done,” Grainger said. “And then what we’re kind of hoping is that as time goes on here, it gives (other) producers that opportunity to also get certified.”

A group of CRSB-certified producers had participated in a pilot of the program prior to the May 24 announcement.

CRSB chair Anne Wasko suggested that the incentive program may drive up participation in the roundtable’s framework and support the certified sustainable value chain.

“Any time you’ve got an incentive, however that may be, whether that’s on the market side or whether it’s, in this case, on the financial side in terms of loans… it tends to drive more interest in the certification program, or at least that’s what we anticipate,” she said. “I think as we go down the road here, incentive programs are going to be part and parcel.”

Wasko noted that gaps in the value chain, which limit the supply of beef eligible for a CRSB claim, are largely with the number of certified cow-calf operators.

The roundtable also hopes the partnership will open the door to similar incentive programs from other stakeholders.

“This is great because it’s the first financial institution to recognize customers,” Wasko said. “So I would love this to be a launching point for other financial institutions. That would be super. We continue to see processing plants come on with various programs and it would be great to see more there.”

There has been significant interest in similar programming, Wasko said.

Under the CRSB framework, farmers derive a premium for cattle born, raised and processed within the network of farms, backgrounding operations, feedlots and processors/packers that have been audited to the framework’s standards. Meat from the value chain can then be sold with a CRSB claim to companies that have committed to buying meat bearing that claim.

Premises that want to get certified can turn to three auditing bodies recognized by the roundtable: Verified Beef Production Plus, Where Food Comes From Canada, and the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program. Once confirmed that they meet the standards — which include measures on natural resource management, social respect, animal welfare, food safety and efficiency — participants undergo regular audits to maintain their status.

“Many producers may already have the sustainable practices in place to meet the standard,” the CRSB website reads.

As of June 3, 2021, the roundtable registered 1,332 certified farms, accounting for about 17 per cent of Canada’s beef herd. Eight companies, including major retailers and restaurant chains, had signed up to buy meat with a CRSB claim, and 17 million pounds of beef with a claim had been sold since the framework’s launch in 2018.

Future FCC programs

FCC has said that the partnership with the CRSB may be only the first of such programs.

In the May 24 release, FCC vice-president of marketing, Todd Klink, said that the company intends to build “incentive programs for other sectors in the future.”

“The CRSB is a really great place for FCC to start,” Grainger said. “And that’s because it has an established process set up that producers can get verified through.

“We’re looking for opportunities to partner and support other industry-led sustainability initiatives and we’re going to continue exploring different ways we can support customers and the incentive for beef producers is really just the start,” he added.

Eligible producers can apply for the program online at fcc.ca/sustainabilityprograms. Grainger estimates that an application would take five to 10 minutes.

“It’s really quick,” he said. “The producers have already done the hard work in getting certified already, so we wanted to make sure our incentive program… is super quick and easy.”

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Walmart Canada on Thursday announced it has committed to buy 1.5 million pounds of beef sourced from farms and ranches certified to Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) standards over the next calendar year.

That commitment — almost 680.4 metric tonnes of beef — marks “the largest known quantity of beef from certified sustainable Canadian farms and ranches ever sourced by a single retailer,” the company said in a release.

Furthermore, the company said, the amount of beef Walmart Canada sources from CRSB Certified sustainable farms and ranches “will continue to increase each year.”

CRSB certification — which until recent years has been associated mainly with beef purchases by restaurant and quick-service chains — became a sell point for Walmart earlier this year when it committed to supply its Your Fresh Market burger patty line in Canada entirely with CRSB Certified beef.

That label claim allowed Walmart — which already sources all fresh beef for its Canadian stores in Canada — to claim a first among grocery retailers in the Canadian market.

With Thursday’s announcement, however, “committing to sustainable sourcing at this unprecedented level sets a new threshold in the industry for what is possible and reaffirms the company’s partnership with the CRSB,” Walmart said.

“Leadership from organizations like Walmart inspires change and supports the Canadian beef sector’s continuous improvement goals,” CRSB chair Anne Wasko said in the same release.

The retailer said it plans to develop “customer-facing messaging… to share this milestone commitment to sustainable beef sourcing” over the coming months.

The CRSB, set up in 2014, maintains the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework — CRSB Certified, for short — to affirm farms’ and ranches’ sustainable practices through third-party certification and support sustainable commitments for retail and foodservice companies.

The roundtable also aims to build consumer trust through “credible, science-based claims” about sustainable beef production in Canada.

The CRSB last week put out a call for beef producers to take part in a new survey for its National Beef Sustainability Assessment. The new survey went live Friday (Oct. 1) and will be available online until Jan. 7, 2022.

Survey data goes toward the National Beef Sustainability Assessment’s goal of providing a “comprehensive farm-to-fork baseline of the environmental, social and economic sustainability performance of the Canadian beef industry,” and identifying “areas for improvement.”

Other pledges

Walmart’s U.S.-based parent on Wednesday separately announced the CRSB beef agreement as part of a list of new commitments to make Walmart a “regenerative” retailer.

Among other new pledges on that list, Walmart said it plans to reach a 15 per cent absolute reduction in its “virgin plastic” footprint — that is, any plastic produced from new rather than recycled materials — by 2025.

It also said it would expand the scope for its previously announced goal to source 100 per cent more sustainable cotton and 50 per cent recycled polyester for its Private Brand apparel and soft home textiles by 2025, to include not just Walmart stores in the U.S. but also its Sam’s Club U.S. and Walmart Canada Private Brand apparel and home textiles.

It also committed to start buying Pacific Island Tuna (PIT) products for its in-house brand, Great Value. PIT launched on Wednesday as a partnership between The Nature Conservancy and the Republic of the Marshall Islands on environmental, labour and traceability standards.

Walmart Canada in June separately announced a list of “commitments to pollinator health,” including sourcing 100 per cent of fresh produce and floral sold in its stores’ produce departments from suppliers who adopt Integrated Pest Management Practices by 2025.

It also expected to have 10 pollinator gardens planned onsite at Walmart locations by the end of this year. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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The retail giant announced Monday it’s now sourcing beef from “certified sustainable” farms and ranches according to standards set by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

The company didn’t give numbers for how much CRSB-standard beef it expects to purchase, but said it would be “a large enough quantity of beef from sustainable sources” that it has been granted permission to have a sustainability certification label on each package of Your Fresh Market patties.

With that label claim, Walmart Canada, which already sources all its beef in Canada, will be “the first grocery retailer in Canada to achieve this milestone.”

“Offering this new line of beef patties with sustainability certification is part of our journey and a proud moment for our entire team,” Walmart Canada CEO Horacio Barbeito said in the company’s release. “Our ongoing partnership with the CRSB helps drive the shared goal of advancing sustainability within the Canadian beef industry.”

The CRSB, through the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework it launched in late 2017, provides farms, ranches and processors with a tool for certification meeting sustainability standards, and salso upports retail and foodservice companies in meeting their sustainable-sourcing commitments.

The CRSB also provides “sustainability messaging” for consumers, by way of marketing labels and claims for beef from certified-sustainable operations.

The new CRSB claim for the Walmart burger line, for example, “represents an opportunity for a whole-system transformation and continued progress across the beef supply chain,” the retailer said Monday.

“The label will help Canadians understand the sustainable practices that are used and how their food is raised, so that they can better understand how that contributes to a sustainable food system,” CRSB chair Anne Wasko said in the same release.

“We want all Canadians to feel confident that in choosing CRSB-certified products, they are making the right choices for themselves and their families, and for our planet, while also supporting farmers and ranchers across Canada.”

Walmart — which has already moved to improve sustainable sourcing of commodities such as seafood, pulp and paper — said it will launch the beef line “in time for the summer barbecue season in Canada,” including regular, bacon cheddar and mushroom-infused offerings. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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The Canadian arm of the U.S. fast food giant announced Thursday it will resume its pre-pandemic policy of sourcing 100 per cent Canadian beef, starting in September.

In late April — as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the workforces at Western Canada’s major federally inspected beef packing plants — McDonald’s Canada announced it would enlist supplies from other countries “until Canada’s beef supply stabilizes.”

During the “adjustment,” the company said Thursday, it was still able to source Canadian beef for over 80 per cent of its supply, but supplemented those purchases with beef from packers in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and Ireland.

The burger chain’s Canadian arm, which today includes about 1,400 stores across the country, first committed in 2003 to a 100 per cent Canadian beef supply, which it said Thursday is sourced from producers “primarily in Alberta and Saskatchewan.”

McDonald’s in late April had cited the temporary closure of Cargill’s beef packing plant at High River, Alta. as a reason for the supply adjustment, and said at the time it would work with Cargill and other global suppliers to meet demand.

The High River plant was offline for two weeks following a significant outbreak of COVID-19, which ultimately led to infections among about half of the plant’s 2,000-odd employees, including two workers who died of the illness.

Sustainability shift

Also by next month, McDonald’s said Thursday, the Canadian chain expects to make an additional shift in its beef supply for its Quarter Pounder burgers, and ensure at least 30 per cent comes from farms and ranches certified by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

“The stabilized supply of Canadian beef is important in allowing us to continue to progress our sustainability efforts,” Jeffrey Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, sustainability and agriculture lead for McDonald’s Canada, said Thursday in the company’s release.

The new Quarter Pounder beef policy, he said, “is another meaningful step forward on our journey to delivering socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound food to our guests.”

McDonald’s Canada was a founding member of the CRSB when that organization was set up in 2014. In 2018, the chain became the first to use the CRSB certification mark, on the packaging for its Angus burger line.

The chain in late April also said it would temporarily remove Angus burgers from its Canadian offerings, as part of what it described earlier that month as a “simplification of our menu” to improve takeout traffic during the pandemic.

The company didn’t say Thursday when the Angus burger line would return. A company representative said later by email it’s “frequently evaluating our limited menu in response to the needs of our guests and our restaurants, and may make further changes.”

“For nearly two decades, we’ve maintained a strong commitment to sourcing Canadian beef — we are incredibly proud of the role we’ve played in supporting local ranchers and farmers,” Nicole Zeni, the senior manager of supply chains for McDonald’s Canada, added in Thursday’s release.

“In these challenging times, our ability to return to sourcing 100 per cent of our beef from Canadian sources is a true testament to the resiliency of the industry.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

UPDATED, Aug. 18, 2020 — The article has been updated to include further comment from McDonald’s Canada on the Angus burger.

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