ISSUES AND POLICY
Beef: Better Today, Successful Tomorrow By Bob McCan, NCBA president
A
T THIS YEAR’S CATTLE INDUSTRY SUMMER CONFERENCE in Denver, we spent a great deal of time and en- ergy on the topic of beef industry sustainability. It seems sustainability is a constant topic of discus-
sion in many corners of our business. As cattle produc- ers, we need to be engaged in these conversations to prevent production mandates or a top-down approach. If change is necessary it must start with our producers out in the country, and it must come in a form that is good for our industry if we are to maintain it. There are sustainability efforts that promote a one-
size-fi ts-all approach and these are doomed to fail. Our industry is far too large and too diverse for this to work. Beef industry sustainability is a personal topic;
one that’s important to me as the owner of a multi- generational ranch. I have worked hard to improve the land with which I’ve been entrusted. In the process, I have found that often what’s good for the land is good for the bottom line. It’s that relationship between environmental sus-
tainability and economic sustainability that makes this conversation important for beef producers. Change shouldn’t be mandated and it should, over time, im- prove the profi tability of the operation in the form of increased forage production, higher calving percent- ages, heavier weaning weights and increased wildlife habitat, etc. On our operation, I take land management seriously
and I approach it in a scientifi c fashion. Our approach to overall industry sustainability should be exactly the same. That’s why National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), as a contractor to the beef checkoff program, has worked to complete and third-party-certify the Beef Industry Sustainability Assessment. This work documented a 7 percent improvement in
118 The Cattleman October 2014
the environmental and social sustainability of the beef industry between 2005 and 2011. It has given us the scientifi c baseline to continue the process of improv- ing our industry for coming generations. NCBA is engaged in more than just documenting our
performance. We’re working closely with stakehold- ers such as Walmart and McDonald’s, to ensure we’re able to meet the expectations of some of our largest clients while also helping them understand how and why the beef industry functions as it does. This 2-way dialogue is important to building understanding and forging a sustainable future for them, as well as for the beef industry, while keeping beef in store cases and on menus. The conversation has taken on a global perspective
with the work of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) to defi ne sustainable beef for producers around the globe. NCBA and its producer leaders have been highly engaged in the effort to ensure our pro- duction processes and requirements are understood and incorporated into the fi nal document, which is scheduled for release in November. It’s important for ranchers in the U.S. to understand
that they have been well represented in GRSB’s effort to defi ne sustainable beef. The principles and criteria document weren’t developed to dictate how beef will or should be produced anywhere in the world. It better defi nes beef sustainability. All of us have an opportunity to do things better,
and that holds true around the globe. From the biggest U.S. packer to the smallest beef producer in Brazil, it is how we’ve been successful for generations. It is our responsibility to the future. That’s really what sustain- ability is: making our operations better today, so they are successful tomorrow.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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