Beef retailers and restaurants are acknowledging
this interest in sustainability and expect their ven- dors to help them meet this customer requirement. Packers such as Cargill and JBS started to develop measurements of sustainability and criteria for their suppliers to meet. Two years ago, leaders in the beef industry saw that
we needed a uniform system of sustainability measure- ments rather than trying to meet varying criteria of individual processors and retailers. One of the fi rst things to be developed was a de-
scription of a sustainable beef industry. The USRSB developed this statement: “A sustainable U.S. beef in- dustry is one in which the full value chain is able to balance economic viability, environmental stewardship and social responsibility while meeting the growing global demand for beef.” During these 2 years of discussions producers, pro-
cessors, manufacturers, retailers, non-governmental organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy, have been able to work together without any real confl ict because we are all interested in the same thing. Every segment of the beef chain wants to be able to assure consumers that beef is a sustainably produced food. TSCRA has been representing member interests by
keeping important points at the forefront of our discus- sions. We want to: • Defend individual operators’ right to make decisions regarding responsible production practices.
• Establish common ground where sustainability benefi ts producers and stakeholders.
• Work to promote the positive aspects of sustain- ably produced beef and recognize possible limiters of beef demand.
• Support science-based outcomes and full beef sup- ply chain efforts that are demonstrated through continuous improvement over time.
• Support sustainability programs that are voluntary, market driven and science-based.
• Support actions that deliver value and a return on investment.
• Align with organizations that fundamentally sup- port beef production. Cattle raisers must be involved in the development
of the ways in which sustainability is measured. If we aren’t there, then the criteria of others who don’t understand our livelihoods will be forced on us. We have an equal voice in this important discussion and by telling our story about how ranching is done, we will help our partners understand that ranchers are already raising beef cattle in a sustainable manner.
Appeal on Lesser Prairie-Chicken Dropped T
EXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS ASSOCIATION (TSCRA) President Richard Thorpe says the as-
sociation is pleased with the decision by the Obama administration to drop their appeal on a federal dis- trict court’s decision to delist the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “This means the chicken is no longer federally pro-
tected under the Endangered Species Act, providing major relief for ranchers who have worried about the additional layer of federal regulations that came along with the listing of the LPC,” Thorpe says. This decision came after U.S. District Judge Robert
A. Junell, of Midland, overturned the listing of the LPC as a threatened species on Sept. 3, 2015. The LPC was listed as threatened in 2014 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), affecting regions in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. “Ranchers across Texas and the southwest are the best stewards of our nation’s land and have imple-
tscra.org
mented successful conservation practices on their property. Federal regulations only inhibit their ability to implement these practices and provide food and fi ber for a rapidly increasing world population. TSCRA will continue to aggressively monitor endangered species listings that could be harmful to ranchers and land- owners,” Thorpe says.
July 2016 The Cattleman 75
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