IN WRITING?that T
CAN I GET
Leann and John Saunders make it their business to help producers age- and source-verify their cattle for domestic and international markets.
By Larry Stalcup
here were many cheers when Japan eased import restriction on U.S. beef from cattle slaughtered at no older than 20 months of age. Raising the
import restrictions to 30 months opened doors closed too long. But that doesn’t mean producers should for- get about age-, source- and other verifi cation. Domes- tic and worldwide demand is still there for beef that is guaranteed Natural, hormone-free and raised in a humane manner. Buyers of that beef want it in writing — with third-
party verifi cation — a management practice that can easily gain ranchers an extra $5 to $10 per hundred pounds (cwt). Leann Saunders has been extensively involved in
all facets of third-party verifi cation (TPV) for everyone from cow-calf guys to McDonalds Corp. She and her husband, John, formed IMI Global several years ago to facilitate the need for a well-versed TPV program. The Saunderses recently changed the company name
to Where Food Comes From Inc. IMI Global and Inter- national Certifi cation Services, Inc. (ICS) verifi cation divisions operate under the Where Food Comes From umbrella. Leann is on the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF)
board of directors. She was elected USMEF vice c hair for the 2013 year and chair of the Traceability Working
98 The Cattleman September 2013
Group. She also sits on the board for the International Stockmen’s Education Foundation. Personally, Leann remains actively involved with
her family’s ranching and stocker operations and is part owner of the Mayfi eld Heritage Cattle Company in Animas, N.M. She and John also have 3 children, Kenneth, Hannah and Katie. Along with producers and feeders, Where Food Comes
From and IMI have numerous corporate clients within the beef industry. They include Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Guaranteed Gardiner Genetics Angus pro- gram, Hereford Verifi ed, Merial SureHealth, Missouri QSA Program, Superior Livestock Auction (Superior Verifi ed) and Western Video Market The expansion of IMI Global is evidence the need
for TPV remains high. For ranchers and feeders, that includes many types of programs that are designed to produce a premium.
Why is a verifi cation program still important to cattle operations? “We have moved into an environment where livestock
identifi cation and traceability have become a standard requirement for countries around the world,” Leann says. “It has become a global expectation. Though it’s not required to verify cattle as 30 months of age or
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