GRSB Connect for March 17, 2015 |
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Dear GRSB Member, Welcome to the latest GRSB Connect! I would like to start by welcoming the latest national initiative, the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, which as you will read below has been launched with 43 organisations in the US. This is great news for us as it promises to take the work of GRSB to the ground level in the biggest beef producing country in the world. There are many organisations already working on sustainable beef systems in the US, and many of the members of the US roundtable are also GRSB members; that shared experience is sure to pay dividends going forward. Sustainability News A Jolt of SustainabilityDateline: 02/27/15, Source: Restaurant NewsSustainability has emerged as an important consideration for many restaurant patrons as they try to decide what to eat and where. Consumers who are concerned about sustainability might wonder if their takeout order is packaged in recycled materials, worry about whether seafood was harvested following Seafood Watch guidelines, and ask if the table they're sitting at was made from reclaimed barn wood. New Video Challenges Myth About Water Use In Beef ProductionDateline: 02/23/15, Source: Perishable NewsThe newest video in the Meat Mythcrusher series addresses one of the most commonly seen myths in the media: how much water it takes to produce a pound of beef. While one often cited statistic suggested it could take as much as 2,400 gallons of water, sustainability researcher Jude Capper, Ph.D., explains that the real data shows the amount is much smaller, it requires 441 gallons to make a pound of boneless beef – a fraction of what is often claimed and far less than many other popular consumer products. View 3.18–minute video HERE. TheCattleSite Launches Beef & Dairy Sustainability HubDateline: 02/24/15, Source: The CattleSiteWhat does sustainable beef really mean? TheCattleSite, TheBeefSite and TheDairySite aim to help you figure it out with the launch of their new Beef & Dairy Sustainability Hub.The Beef & Dairy Sustainability Hub offers the latest global news, articles, publications and videos, sharing research, industry initiatives, the latest innovations and current best farm management practices. The content is relevant to the entire value chain, from large producers to small–holders, regardless of your system type or operation. Agricultural Scientists Argue that Systems Research Offers Solutions to Tackle Poverty, Hunger and Environmental Degradation TogetherDateline: 03/03/15, Source: PR NewswireScientists and researchers from over 30 nations gather today at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for the International Conference on Integrated Systems for Sustainable Intensification in Smallholder Agriculture. Is Grass–Fed Beef Really Better for You, the Animal and the Planet?Dateline: 02/23/15, Source: By Tamar Haspal, The Washington PostGrass–fed beef is the meat of the moment. The image of cattle dotting green hillsides is an appealing counterpoint to the thought of herds corralled in crowded, grass–free feedlots. Advocates claim a trifecta of advantages: Grass–fed beef is better for you, for the animal and for the planet. Is it? Land Management Tied to Healthy BeefDateline: 02/22/15, Source:By Candace Krebs, La Junta Tribune DemocratGabe Brown farms in North Dakota, but his production system might fit a valuable niche in Colorado, where both producers and consumers have a high level of interest in grass–fed beef but where semi–arid native range offers minimal forage. Global News Argentina's Beef Production Tepid Recovery Forecasted to Remain Flat in 2015Dateline: 03/07/15, Source: Merco PressArgentina's revival as a major force in beef has been slowed by a dent to calving rates from poor weather, besides by a reluctance by producers to maximize animal weights, in the face of export restrictions. Indonesia Self–Sufficiency Push Will Drive Up Beef Prices –IndustryDateline: 03/04/15, Source: ReutersPlans by Indonesia's new president to make the nation self–sufficient in foods such as beef are showing signs of backfiring, with a major industry group warning prices for the meat could soar 50 percent in the next few months. Texas Beef Industry Calls New Dietary Guidelines "Flawed"Dateline: 03/05/15, Source: KBTX TVNew diet guidelines from the federal government say we should be eating less meat, and as you might expect, that's not sitting well with the beef industry here in Texas. Every five years, the USDA releases new nutrition guidelines, outlining what they think we should be eating and what we shouldn't. Is the Beef Industry Handling the Proposed Dietary Guidelines the Wrong WayDateline: 03/03/15, Source: By Amanda Radke, BEEF DailyIs the beef industry responding to the proposed dietary guidelines in a negative way? What is the best approach for promoting beef while also creating effective change to the proposed recommendations? Feed vs. Food: Are Cattle Really Taking Food Out of Our Mouths?Dateline: 03/02/15, Source: Dr. Jude L. Capper, Drovers CattleNetworkIn 40 years, the global population is predicted to contain more than 9 billion people, and demand for food, fuel and fiber will increase by 60 percent. Out of those 9 billion people, 8 billion will live in the developing world, where inhabitants of regions such as China and India will have household incomes similar to those in the developed world, and will demand more milk, meat and eggs.2 The cattle industry therefore faces a considerable challenge in producing sufficient beef to fulfill global demand; yet two common claims leveled at the industry are that: 1) corn fed to cattle could feed humans instead; and 2) the quantity of land used for grazing would be far more effectively used to produce grains or vegetables for human consumption. However, there are a number of bigger issues to consider. Understanding Welfare Food LabelsDateline: 02/27/15, Source: By Heidi Carroll, PORKNetworkFood labels that emphasize how animals are treated and cared for on the farm or ranch are becoming more widely recognized in grocery stores across the United States. World's Forests at the Mercy of Commodity Supply ChainsDateline: 02/10/15, Source: Environment News ServiceOnly a small minority of the power brokers controlling the global commodity supply chains that drive the world's tropical deforestation are able to meet demand without destroying forests, finds the first ranking of these powerful players. Our Members |
To read the entire source article, click on the link in the headline.Welcome to the Table! We Welcome The Newest Member to the Roundtable Dateline: March 2015GPS Food GroupConstituency: Commerce & ProcessingGPS Food Group markets in excess of 100,000 tons of meat products annually throughout the world, including beef, lamb, pork, poultry and meat protein ingredients. GPS provides technical management service consultancy for abattoirs, production and optimization of offal and processing as well as cobranding and marketing of products. The company manages the production planning, marketing and commercial redevelopment of the Meatco Namibia and the Botswana Meat Commission. GPS is now working on a local solution to provide safe affordable protein in urban and peri–urban areas of South Africa. Members in the News McDonald's Sustainable Beef Pilot Moves into High GearDateline: 03/02/15, Source: Alberta FarmerMcDonald's has put its foot on the gas, and is revving up its verified sustainable beef pilot. The largest buyer of Canadian beef has developed a set of 40 'indicators' to assess sustainability; created a scoring system to grade ranches, feedlots and others in the beef value chain; and chosen an American verification company to oversee the process. So, What About the Topsoil?Dateline: 03/03/15, Source: By Karen J. Inwald, Huffington Post GreenWell, Time magazine in 2012 called attention to the crisis of topsoil. It is estimated that we have 60 years of topsoil left. Forty percent of the soil used for agriculture is classed as either degraded or seriously degraded. Allan Savory of the Savory Institute in his TED talk in 2013, which has received 2,798,634 views (certainly viral), demonstrates that two thirds of arable land on our planet is undergoing desertification. Conventional wisdom assumes that over grazing of livestock is responsible for such desertification. Conventional wisdom also once asserted that the world was flat. Mr. Savory brilliantly states that "conventional wisdom was wrong then, and it is wrong now." New Approaches Needed in Tackling the Debate Over Feeding a Hungry WorldDateline: 02/25/15, Source: By Jon Condon, SHEEP CentralThe head of one of the world's largest animal health companies has a simple message for Australian livestock industries: abandon political correctness in the debate over the importance of technology in helping meet growing demand for safe, nutritious and affordable food. Jeff Simmons is global president of Elanco Animal health, which produces a catalogue of productivity enhancement products across the beef, pork, chicken and sheepmeat sectors. Elanco records annual sales of more than $2 billion in 75 countries. 'Global Beef Production Needs to Rise by 43% to Feed Growing Population'Dateline: 02/25/15, Source: By Margaret Donnelly, AgriLandGlobal beef production must rise by 43% to meet the growing demand from consumers, according to Elanco, the animal health company. It says that without innovation, beef production worldwide could see the need for 170m more cattle to meet the demand by 2050. Is 'Sustainable Beef' an Oxymoron?Dateline: 03/11/15, Source: By Lorraine Chow, EcoWatchIn the face sagging beef sales, a slew of U.S. beef industry stakeholders have formed the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) to figure out how to source beef that's, well, more "sustainable." McDonald's, Tyson Foods, Walmart Advance Beef Supply Chain SustainabilityDateline: 03/04/15, Source: Environmental Leader
Cargill, McDonald's, Tyson Foods and Walmart are among the founding members of the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, launched yesterday. Multi–Stakeholder U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef LaunchedDateline: 03/05/15, Source: FeedstuffsU.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef's (USRSB) mission is to advance, support and communicate continuous improvement in U.S. beef sustainability through leadership, innovation, multi–stakeholder engagement and collaboration. Utilizing the definition for sustainable beef recently released by the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB), the USRSB will develop sustainability indicators relevant to the various beef systems in the United States, as well as a means to verify sustainable progress in a transparent manner that can be shared. Similar to GRSB, the USRSB will not mandate standards or verify the performance of individual beef value chain participants. McDonald's to Curtail Antibiotic UseDateline: 03/04/15, Source: By John Maday, Bovine VeterinarianMcDonald's this week announced a plan to source poultry raised without antibiotics important to human medicine. At the same time, the company also introduced its Global Vision for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Food Animals, which implies McDonald's will, over time, extend similar policies to its beef, dairy and pork supply chains. In a news release, McDonald's states that its chicken producers will retain the option of using ionophores, a class of antimicrobials not used in human medicine. 'We Intend to Grow at a Much Faster Tate Than the Market,' Cargill Sees Scope for Growth in African Poultry and Dairy SectorsDateline: 02/27/15, Source: By Jane Byrne, Feed Navigator
Cargill Animal Nutrition hopes to leverage the ever increasing demand for animal protein products in African markets as its new US$12.5 million South African feed premix facility, targeting the swine, poultry and ruminant sectors, goes operational. Walmart Launches Sustainable Products ShopDateline: 02/25/15, Source: Environmental LeaderWalmart yesterday launched its Sustainability Leaders shop, an online shopping portal that helps customers identify and purchase products that are produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way. The Sustainability Leaders shop is the customer–facing iteration of Walmart's Sustainability Index, launched in 2009 in collaboration with The Sustainability Consortium (TSC). News We Can Use If you have news to share with the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef membership, please send it to polly.welden@grsbeef.org |
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