By Trevor Bacque/Bacque 40 Communications
The recent release (January 2024) of the Canadian beef sector’s National Beef Sustainability Assessment (NBSA) demonstrates continued positive gains for beef sustainability.
In the 10 years the CRSB has been operational, the national group has co-ordinated efforts from all provinces to make Canada’s value chain a worldwide leader for environmental, social and economic sustainability.
The benchmark report, created by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) focuses on sustainability performance from 2014 to 2021. This document updates stakeholders on the progress made across the entire value chain through multiple metrics. The in-depth findings are a scientific assessment of the sustainability of the whole beef production value chain right from farm to fork.
In total, there are 85 members within the CRSB, including restaurants and retailers, packers, producers, ag and food businesses, and scientists. Financial institutions and post-secondaries are also involved in the Roundtable.
The Canadian beef industry’s 2030 goals are embedded within the Sustainability Strategy, and the report identifies alignment with 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including zero hunger, good health and well being and responsible consumption/production.
Here is what the new report found.
Environmental impacts in the beef industry
Life Cycle Assessment findings were peer reviewed and published in the Canadian Journal of Animal Science.
Between 2014 and 2021, the beef supply chain dramatically reduced what it takes to produce one kilogram of beef. In terms of GHG emissions, there has been a reduction of 15 per cent in the carbon footprint (from 38.6 to 32.8 kg CO2 eq./kg) to produce each kilogram of boneless beef consumed since 2014. The overall reduction has been credited to greater feed efficiency and shorter production periods. This means the animals grow faster, and less resources are needed to produce the same amount of beef. On average, it now requires 177 litres less water to produce the same kilogram of meat.
Today, land used for beef production is estimated to have 1.9 billion tonnes of soil organic carbon stored in it. That’s about 40 per cent of the total soil organic carbon on ag land. This staggering number is the equivalent annual emissions output of two billion vehicles.
In addition, the report also found that freshwater eutrophication is down, meaning less runoff of nitrates and other pollutants that are not entering waterways. Similarly, photochemical oxidation formation has decreased as well.
Because 84 per cent of all beef production land is pasture, it continues to be a critical habitat for other wildlife species. The report concludes that land used for raising beef cattle provides 74% of wildlife habitat needed for reproduction and 55% for finding food. While all wildlife habitat is down as a whole, the share represented by the beef industry has increased.
Social impacts
The CRSB engaged with participants across the beef supply chain throughout Canada to understand the nature of their daily operations and how it affects them, both physically and mentally. Using 11 different indicators, including labour management, health and safety as well as animal care, it was clear that there is both progress and more work to be done.
Still, for those working in the sector, it continues to present challenges. Half of on-farm participants report “large amounts of stress” which has led to sleep loss, change in appetite and other ailments. Three-quarters of respondents say they have felt “some degree of disturbing stress.” Some of those stressors include lack of qualified labour, which can lead to increased work hours and, over time, burnout. These findings are similar across many sectors of agriculture.
A positive has been the ag sector as a whole working hard to destigmatize mental health challenges. While stress and physical demands are normal in the industry, many are now accepting of help, which comes through a variety of resources.
Regarding health and safety, the new report says that on-farm preparedness and overall awareness has improved, although it could still be better.
Animal health continues to improve and 88 per cent of producers say they have taken measures in the last three years to better support their animals through extreme weather. Further, 81 per cent have a veterinarian-client-patient relationship to improve animal health and overall outcomes.
As producers continue to use a variety of antimicrobial products, there are still mixed opinions and perceptions on antimicrobial use. People believe there’s still work to be done for responsible management practices. The report notes that additional resources may still be required at the farm level for producers to read through and understand the importance of proper antimicrobial use.
Economic impacts
On a per head basis, Canadian beef farmers are more profitable today than they were 10 years ago, despite the rising cost of business.
More than ever, beef producers have closed the gap to the Canadian median after-tax income to less than $1,500 ($92,400 vs. $90,954; findings based on a 200-head cow herd’s total income from paid labour and profit margin from the animals).
In total, Canadian cattle contributed $51.6 billion in goods and services, $21.8 billion to Canada’s GDP and $11.7 billion in wages.
Good news for those who feared people weren’t putting as much beef on their plates, either. Research demonstrates that consumer demand rose five per cent in Canada. Globally, the number jumped 16 per cent since 2013.
Today, for a single job in a packing plant, 3.4 direct and indirect jobs are created as a result. Similarly, for every employed ranch worker, there are 2.5 workers hired directly or indirectly in the Canadian economy.
Conclusion
As the Canadian cattle sector charges towards 2030, the year many different sustainability goals are slated to complete for multiple industries and sub-industries, the beef sector is targeting improvements in seven areas, each with multiple goals:
- Greenhouse Gas and Carbon Sequestration
- Land Use & Biodiversity
- Water and Soil Quality
- People’s Health and Safety
- Animal Health & Welfare
- Beef Quality and Food Safety
- Technology and Innovation
Learn more about the CRSB’s Sustainability Assessment and Stratgey here: https://crsb.ca/benchmarks