| Abattoir Closures Must Force Recognition of Unsustainable Regulatory Costs: AMIC Beef Central | August 30, 2017 The Australian red meat processing industry's peak industry council has called on levels of Government and industry to recognise the impact that record input costs, regulatory burden and encumbered market access is having on the industry, following the closure of another processing company within Australia. Farming Must Highlight the True Value of Animal Manures Richard Halleron, Agriland | September 3, 2017 The commentary from Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) putting agriculture in the dock, following last week's water quality report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was entirely predictable. I would be the first person to put my hands up and confirm that silage effluent is a potent pollutant and that every farmer must strive to keep seepage levels into water courses at a zero level. This is the law, and rightly so. However, the use of animal slurries and manures by farmers is a different issue altogether. In the first instance, slurry is one of the most valuable assets that farmers have access to. It is not the waste product, which so many environmental organisations refer to it as being. Is Consumer Perception Truly Reality for Beef? Krissa Welshans, Feedstuffs | September 07, 2017 When deciding what protein to eat, today's consumer is still looking for a tasty experience, and beef is delivering, according to Polly Ruhland, Cattlemen's Beef Board chief executive officer. This was highlighted in the Consumer Beef Index (CBI), a key research survey the beef checkoff fields twice a year to track changes in consumers' perceptions of and demand for beef relative to other meat proteins, assess the impact of the beef industry's communications efforts on consumers and measure the extent to which consumers consider the positive aspects of beef to outweigh the negatives. Why Are Some of the World's Largest Meat Processors Investing in Lab–Grown Meat? James Nason, BEEF Central | September 11, 2017 Meat processing giants say recent decisions to pour funds into small start–ups developing lab–grown meat, or plant–based alternatives to conventionally farmed meat, is a response to growing consumer demand for sustainably–produced food. Healthy Soils Can Boost Food Security and Climate Resilience for Millions (commentary) Inger Andersen, Mongabay | September 6, 2017 When healthy, drylands like those stretching across northern Burkina Faso are covered in a rich but fragile fabric of life, most of which is hidden underground. Rain–fed agriculture in these regions depends on underground ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, termites, and other species that keep the soil fertile. But the health of many dryland ecosystems has declined dramatically over recent decades, largely due to unsustainable farming methods, increasing drought, deforestation, and clearance of natural grasslands. Burkina Faso is hardest hit of all of Western Africa, with 40 percent of its soils severely degraded. Desertification is costing the country nine percent of national agricultural GDP annually. 5 Tips To Develop a Grazing System in Sync with Nature Bryan Weech, BEEF Magazine | May 25, 2017 Much has been said and written about ranch sustainability. When you boil it down, however, it's largely a matter of working with nature. Beef can play an important role in providing the world a nutrient–dense food that is also sustainable. However, to accomplish this, a beef production system must take advantage of key components that can make it more sustainable, which can be defined as the ability of beef to be produced in sync with nature. Ranching in harmony with nature is one of the key strategies for decreasing the impacts while increasing the profitability and sustainability of beef production. At Home On the Range Bruce Aidells, Meat + Poultry | October 7, 2014 Bill Niman's vision from the get–go was to "raise wholesome meat" and to do so in a sustainable manner, including treating livestock with respect and committing to humane animal–welfare practices. When his business began in the early 1970s, these ideas were not being talked about much in the meat industry. Few cattle were raised "all–natural," meaning they were not given sub–therapeutic doses of antibiotics, added growth stimulants or hormones and were fed an all–vegetable diet. Dr. Richard Teague from Texas A&M Talks About Regenerative Grazing and Holistic Management Savory Institute, You Tube | February 16, 2016 Watch 2:31 video HERE. GRSB Communicators Summit Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef We're bringing together an exclusive group of social scientists, communication experts, and a host of sustainability trail–blazers to explore how we're all talking about sustainability, in person, online, or even in virtual reality. During our two and half days together, we will do the type of work that drives continuous improvement! Our hope is the types of conversations that will be had, the knowledge that will be shared, and the relationships that will be built, will be the makings of a big up–level in how we're collectively communicating about global sustainability. We're excited to create a space to celebrate what's driving success in sustainability communication and to identify how we can reach audiences at deeper and more meaningful levels – levels that shift paradigms and inspire innovation! If you are the sustainability communicator in your organization and would like to attend this event, please send an email to information@grsbeef.org for registration information. Please provide your name, job title, and organization name. | |