Beef pleads its case in a changing world

Published by Farmer’s Weekly New Zealand

HUGH STRINGLEMAN – 19 April, 2022

Scottish agriculturalist Ruaraidh Petre runs the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef from his home in Nelson, unable in the past two years to be able to travel beyond New Zealand to conferences or meetings. After farming here as a young man, he was keen to return, Hugh Stringleman found out.

The incredible diversity of beef cattle farming around the world gives it relevance, strength and endurance, Global Roundtable (GRSB) executive director Ruaraidh Petre says.

“Beef farming takes place from the Arctic Circle to the arid centre of Australia or Botswana in southern Africa, where I was working when I first heard about the Roundtable.”

GRSB has over 100 member companies and organisations, non-profits and individuals from 24 countries on five continents.

Six groups of members, called constituencies, come from producer organisations, processors, retailers, allied services, civil societies and the roundtables of 12 beef-producing countries.

The GRSB has an elected 19-member board of directors from all round the world, which includes a representative from Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and that board appoints an executive committee of six.

Continue reading here.

News Release – GRSB Launches Beef Carbon Footprint Guideline

GRSB launches the Beef Carbon Footprint Guideline to support consistency in emissions reporting worldwide

23 March 2022

The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) Scientific Advisory Council has launched the Beef Carbon Footprint Guideline, to allow for sector-wide consistency in the calculation of the carbon footprint of beef cattle.

The creation of the guideline was made possible by a number of notable members of the organization. This included financial support from McDonald’s Corporation and DSM. Blonk Consultants supported by advising on the methodological approach and developing the guideline.

Together, GRSB and its members noticed, that across the sector, businesses and organizations globally were using different methodologies and data to measure their carbon impact – leading to inconsistencies. As such, comparable and consistent measuring across companies, countries and continents was difficult.

This new Beef Carbon Footprint Guideline has therefore been developed based on UN FAO’s LEAP guidance to:

  • Quantify emissions from cradle to farm gate or cradle to processing gate
  • Allow monitoring of GHG emissions through time for a specific system
  • Identify main drivers for GHG emissions in the beef cattle life cycle
  • Allow comparisons within the context of the same study
  • Complement the dairy sector’s LCA work, also based on FAO LEAP guideline

This announcement builds on the established progress by GRSB and its members to ensure a joint global approach to sustainable beef production. Last year, GRSB launched its global sustainability goals – commitments to advance and improve the sustainability of the global beef value chain. The goals focused on three key areas – climate, nature positive, and animal health and welfare.

Ruaraidh Petre, Executive Director of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef said: “A key part of GRSB’s mission is to ensure transparency when it comes to evaluating and reporting key sustainability metrics. However, the global beef carbon footprint has, to date, been challenging to effectively track and report.”

“Launching this new guideline will help to create consistency in the global beef sector. There is growing momentum in the industry to protect and nurture the earth’s natural resources and having a clearer carbon footprint guideline will allow us to do this better than ever before.”

To access the Guideline, please click here.

Contacts:
GRSB Executive Director, Ruaraidh Petre Ruaraidh.Petre@grsbeef.org
MHP Mischief grsb@mhpc.com

About the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef

The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) is a worldwide network of the people and organizations powering progress in sustainable beef. Across its global roundtable and 12 regional roundtables, GRSB has over 500 members, working in 24 different countries. Collectively, its members are responsible for more than two thirds of cross-border beef trade.

GRSB powers progress in sustainable beef by setting ambitious goals around reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving land use and animal welfare. To help achieve these goals, GRSB champions best practice, facilitates the exchange of knowledge and fosters a collaborative approach.

News Release – GRSB announces new member, Harvest Road

HARVEST ROAD JOINS THE GLOBAL ROUNDTABLE FOR SUSTAINABLE BEEF, FURTHERING ITS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO ANIMAL WELFARE

18 March 2021

Harvest Road Group continues to demonstrate its commitment to animal welfare, today announcing it has joined the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB).

The GRSB vision is for: ‘a world where beef is a trusted part of a thriving food system in which the beef value chain is environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically viable.’
The roundtable includes international leaders in the industry such as McDonald’s, Cargill and Tysons, and Australian industry representatives including Meat and Livestock Australia and the Cattle Council. In addition, membership includes advocacy agencies such as World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Membership of GRSB complements Harvest Road’s already well-established commitment to animal welfare reform through its No Pain, No Fear initiative. No Pain No Fear Pty Ltd was established by Tattarang Chairman, Dr Andrew Forrest AO with a challenge to industry to ensure that all animals cared for in animal protein supply chains globally are free from all avoidable pain or fear. The NPNF initial focus is on the welfare of cattle, given the extensive integrated beef supply chain of Harvest Road.
Andrew Forrest said he was pleased to join the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, along with industry leaders, and GRSB clearly outlines what a good life for an animal can look like.

“Consumers have a right to know that what is on their plate didn’t come from pain or fear,” Andrew Forrest said. “We want to make it easier for consumers to be able to endorse good animal welfare practices with their own choices at the supermarket or in our restaurants.”
“We need a lift in industry standards that aims for far higher levels of welfare than are currently articulated in Australian industry standards, guidelines or legislation and seek to reform industry across the globe,” Dr Forrest said.

Paul Slaughter, CEO of Harvest Road, said animal welfare practices across the Australian industry are generally positive and many companies have invested significant time and money in exceeding current standards. “Our aspiration is to work across the sector to ensure that the standards articulate the good work that is happening in Australia and enables continuous improvement and a deep curiosity to understand how we could improve,” said Mr. Slaughter. “Animal welfare requirements in Australia are fragmented, with all States and Territories responsible for their own legislation. This makes it difficult to deliver reform that is consistent across the nation but by no means impossible. “Sustainable reform will be delivered if we do this together with the industry – producers and processors, financial markets, retailers, governments and consumers,” Mr. Slaughter said.

Ruaraidh Petre, Executive Director of GRSB said: “Harvest Road Is a business with values that clearly align with ours and that of our members which Is why we are so excited to welcome them. Launching our global goals last year was a key milestone for the organization and working with partners such as Harvest Road will help us achieve our mission for beef to be more environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically viable.”

MEDIA CONTACT – HARVEST ROAD
Adam Haynes
M: +61 460 319 266
P: +61 8 6460 4949
E: ahaynes@minderoo.org

EDITOR’S NOTES

Harvest Road is part of Tattarang, one of Australia’s largest private investment groups and owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest. It features an agricultural heritage that dates back to 1878 when David Forrest founded Minderoo Station in the heart of the Pilbara, 40km southeast of Onslow.
With six generations of agricultural heritage and a deep commitment to ensuring our industry is sustainable, Harvest Road is committed to using innovative technology and methods to produce the highest quality food products. We are passionate about providing ethical and sustainable market-leading agricultural food, representative of the best Australia has to offer. Today the Harvest Road Group proudly encompasses the Harvest Road Beef and Leeuwin Coast brand.

About the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef

The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) is a worldwide network of the people and organizations powering progress in sustainable beef. Across its global roundtable and 12 regional roundtables, GRSB has over 500 members, working in 24 different countries. Collectively, its members are responsible for more than two thirds of cross-border beef trade.
GRSB powers progress in sustainable beef by setting ambitious goals around reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving land use and animal welfare. To help achieve these goals, GRSB champions best practice, facilitates the exchange of knowledge and fosters a collaborative approach.
Visit www.grsbeef.org and @grsbeef on social media.

Contacts:
GRSB Executive Director, Ruaraidh Petre Ruaraidh.Petre@grsbeef.org
MHP Communications: grsb@mhpc.com