Proving and Improving Sustainability of the Canadian Beef Industry Fawn Jackson Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

Outline  Canadian Cattlemen’s Association  The rise of sustainability  Obstacles; past, present and future  Future directions and how we can work together

68,000 cattle producers in Canada

61 head is the average herd size in Canada Average age of beef producer in Canada is million head of beef cows in Canada $12 billion is the amount that the beef industry contributed to the Cnd. GDP in 2010

50 million acres or 31.5% of agricultural land is in pasture

Challenges in the beef industry  Succession  Rising feed costs  Margins  Regulations  Market Access  Food Safety  Animal Health  Sustainability

The good the bad and the ugly…  70% of wetlands have been lost on the prairies  80% of AB’s wildlife rely on wetlands  Only 25% of grasslands are left in NA  You can’t restore grasslands once they are lost  70% of AB’s Species at risk are on grasslands  90 per cent of Canadian sage grouse population died off between 1988 and 2006  Cattle produce between 5-10% of Canada’s GHG’s

1% of Canadians are involved in Primary Agriculture

Many discussions on Sustainability in the beef sector  Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef  FAO/IMS  Beef Code  Global Agenda for Action  BASF study in the USA  Sustainability Consortium  Walmart, McDonalds, Loblaws, Unilever etc. all have sustainability plans  320 labels for sustainability

What are we doing?  Joined the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef  Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef  Environmental Footprint Study (Can and Intl)  Adding Environmental component to Verified Beef Program  Increase in Environmental Research Funding  Collaborating with groups like Cows and Fish

Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Mission: The CRSB mission is to advance continuous improvement in sustainability of the global beef value chain through leadership, science and multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration. Objectives: Enabling the adoption of best management practices Benchmarking the progress made in sustainability Supporting action-oriented sustainability initiatives that have measurable outcomes Improving communication transfer of science-based information Identifying gaps in knowledge Working towards a favorable regulatory and policy environment Working in conjunction with the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef

Foundation Mission – To support the sustainable advancement and legacy of the Canadian beef industry. Objectives Facilitate and encourage stewardship practices and conservation actions that preserve the environment, biodiversity and wildlife habitat on working agricultural landscapes. Create and/or support education, leadership development and outreach programs to serve youth involved with beef cattle Support beef industry sustainability through research and awareness

Ecosystem Services The minimum value of payments in Canadian environmental markets is estimated at between C$462 million and C$752 million annually. We operate on 160 million acres Social License to Operate

The Weder’s ranch has 150 species of birds, 45 mammals, 7 amphibians and 1 reptile species on it!

MULTISAR Created in 2002 to address multiple species at the landscape level Multiple organizations working in partnership Interdisciplinary approach beneficial to cattle ranching and to the health and sustainability of the native prairie ecosystem and the SAR it supports

Successes Engaged 30 landowners with 256,729 acres Two new landowners added 12,000 acres 53 habitat enhancement projects Converted 1390 acres back to native grass Originally a lot of apprehension and mistrust More proactive, inviting, collaborative, and promoting in a few short years

Productivity advancements reduce the resources used to produce a pound of beef

The End Fawn Jackson Manager of Environmental Affairs Canadian Cattlemen’s Association