Executive Director's Message

We are now in the final week for comments on our Antimicrobial Stewardship Statement. (View PDF).

Please do submit your comments to comments@grsbeef.org by February 2nd. We will then have a month to make edits to the document and a revised version will be circulated to members in March for a second round (30 days) of comments.

I would also like to touch on the subject of animal welfare this week. You may recall that Lesley Mitchell of Good Food Futures became a member of GRSB offering to be a link for animal welfare issues with the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock. GASL has formed an Animal Welfare Action Network (View PDF)  led by Lesley, and she is now collecting case studies on animal welfare, particularly to demonstrate the value of welfare in sustainable production and in the delivery of the sustainable development goals. If you are interested in sharing information or a case study please use the link to access a description of what is requested and instructions on how to do it.

Another forum in which we engage is the High Level Panel of Experts of the Committee on Food Security. There have been genuine efforts to increase the profile of livestock in this discussion and emphasise their importance in food security and livelihoods. I have been requested to comment on a document to be presented to the panel in October 2018 on multi stakeholder initiatives and their role in food security I will be submitting a fuller description of GRSB and our network and members, as although there is mention of GRSB at the moment it is not detailed.

Thanks,

Agricultural Ministers Call for Action on Sustainable Livestock Production for SDG Implementation
Stefan Jungcurt, IISD | January 20, 2018
Agricultural Ministers and representatives of international organizations participating in the tenth Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) stressed the need for action towards more sustainable, responsible and efficient livestock production and animal husbandry to address global challenges, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger); SDG 3 (Good Health and Well–being); and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

In their final communique, the 69 agricultural ministers attending the Forum recognize that making livestock production and animal husbandry more sustainable, responsible and efficient will play a crucial role in in advancing the right to adequate food and implementing the 2030 Agenda.

The Communique includes a'Call for Action,' outlining targets, commitments and actions towards strengthening the role of livestock in: ensuring food security and nutrition; improving livelihoods; conserving natural resources, protecting the environment and addressing climate change; and improving animal health and animal welfare.

This is a story about the importance of ranchers to conservation; given the amount of land that ranchers around the world manage, and the relatively biodiverse nature of ranches compared to cropland, we should not be surprised by these facts. Often the measures taken by ranchers to conserve species on their land deliver a substantial'bang for their buck" in biodiversity terms. see this Canadian (3:32) video.
Cattle Ranchers Join Conservationists To Save Endangered Species And Rangelands
Diana Hembree, Forbes | January 5, 2018
Idaho rancher Jerry Hoagland likes working under the open sky. He's seen all kinds of wildlife, from elk and coyotes to eagles and mountain lions. But he had never heard of the endangered Columbia spotted frog before it was discovered on his ranch.

Enter Idaho's division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hoagland learned that the wildlife agency was willing to split the cost of creating ponds and wetlands on private ranches to support the spotted frog and other endangered species. With shallow edges for spawning and deeper water for hiding, the ponds would serve as virtual incubators for biodiversity.

Hoagland says several years ago, he dug about 20 ponds ("including some dried–up old beaver ponds") on his land at upper Reynolds Creek for the Columbia spotted frog. In a documentary commissioned by the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission, the Owyhee County rancher reports the spotted frog population was growing steadily.

"A beaver turned four small ponds into one large pond, which was absolutely amazing," he said. "We counted over 120 juveniles and I don't know how many adults in that pond. We're finding more frogs, and we'll probably help keep it off the (endangered species) list."

Gove Shows True Vision at Oxford Farming Conference  
Richard Halleron, AgriLand | January 7, 2018
Irish agri–food will, no doubt, be breathing a sigh of relief, given the comments made by Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Secretary, Michael Gove, to this year's Oxford Farming Conference.

Specifically, he said that the UK will seek to secure a free trade deal with the EU–27. He also inferred that continuing levy–free access for Irish beef to the British market would be included within this measure. Bord Bia's Origin Green initiative would then have the opportunity to truly reflect the potential of the Irish food sector to deliver on the vision of sustainable intensification.

This is a principle that was strongly championed by Simon Coveney during his time as Ireland's former minister for agriculture, food and the marine.

While we have an article lower down on the positive role that companies can play in reducing environmental impact, it is worth considering the costs of not doing so; the case studies below look at risks to businesses from continuing to be involved with deforestation.
Case Studies Series; Business Risks from Deforestation
Ceres, Engage the Chain
Companies that fail to manage their environmental performance expose themselves to business risks. For instance, rising consumer and investor awareness about the environmental and social impacts of deforestation is placing increased scrutiny on companies that source commodities from high–risk deforestation to ensure that their products are not sourced with illegal or questionable environmental practices.

Companies that ignore this scrutiny subject themselves to potential regulatory action, or loss of customers, which can translate into negative financial consequences.

Cows Exude Lots of Methane, But Taxing Beef Won't Cut Emissions
The Conversation.com | January 14, 2018
Will taxing meat products based on their carbon footprint reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve public health? The answer is maybe, but not notably — and it will come with significant costs.

A recent study in the journal Nature Climate Change advocates applying taxes to the consumption of meat as a means of lowering GHG emissions.

The idea is that if meat is more expensive, consumers will buy less of it. In turn, when faced with reduced consumption, farmers will produce less cattle.

While it's clear we need to proactively reduce GHG emissions globally, we believe the emissions tax approach is unlikely to achieve success.

An alternative headline might have been "'Eat Good Meat' Underlines the Role of Animals in the Ecosystem"
'Eat Less Meat' Ignores the Role of Animals in the Ecosystem 
Ariel Greenwood, Civil Eats | January 26, 2018
Given the concerns over resource–intensive industrial meat production, you'd think the resounding message would be, "don't buy cheap meat, buy good meat."

Instead, a rule of thumb that has emerged in environmentalists' circles is simply "eat less meat." This statement frames meat as an indulgence rather than 1) the end result of an essential and timeless ecological process (the biological breakdown of vegetation, which feeds the soil and removes dead grass so that new vegetation can grow) and 2) a fulcrum in the way land across the world is managed or mismanaged.

But perpetuating the myth that all meat is the same means that the potential benefits of responsibly raised meat never get a sufficient foothold. By telling only half the story, we're perpetuating the problem because we never bother to mention the solution.

Superclusters: Creating a Silicon Valley for Agriculture and Food  
Glenn Cheater, Jennifer Blair, Alberta Farmer Express | January 15, 2018
So what would you rather have — new lucrative'plant protein' markets or a way to turn Big Data into bigger profits?

Those are the goals of the two agriculture and agri–food proposals vying for a slice of $950 million of federal cash that Ottawa will spend on'superclusters' — business–led collaborations that aim to turn innovative ideas into powerful engines of the Canadian economy.

"Canada needs to continue to be competitive on the world stage," said Ron Styles, acting president of an organization backing a supercluster proposal to boost both production and processing of pulses and other crops in Western Canada.

"The whole idea is to increase economic growth. That is at the heart of it."

Farmers Cull Stock as Heat Hits Home   
Alexa Cook, Radio New Zealand | January 17, 2018
Farmers are sending stock to slaughter early because the dry weather means they don't have enough feed. New figures from the Meat Board show that compared to this time last year, 16 percent more cattle have been slaughtered, 9.4 percent more lambs, and 16 percent more mutton. Beef and Lamb New Zealand South Island farmer director Andrew Morrison said the island was parched.

"High temperatures and the wind we've been having is just sucking the moisture out of the ground." While the weather is good news for holidaymakers, farmers were having to make tough decisions, Mr Morrison said.

Plant protein meat alternatives such as the "Impossible burger" are already available in restaurants; whether they will make big inroads against real meat remains to be seen, but it seems they are here to stay as another protein choice (see also Cargill article above).
Is Alternative Meat a Wild Card In Consumers' Protein Choices?  
Wes Ishmael, BEEF Magazine | January 17, 2018
Would you eat barbecue that wasn't really barbecue? Depending on consumer acceptance, beef may have more competition than pork and poultry on the near horizon. A couple of the nation's largest beef packers are already vested in alternative protein companies.

Tyson Ventures—established in 2016 with a $150 million commitment from Tyson Foods—bought a 5% stake in the plant–based protein business, Beyond Meat (BM).

Its cornerstone Beyond Burger is offered by more than 5,000 supermarkets; it's on the menu of more than 2,000 restaurants. Tyson added to its BM stake in December.

"Global demand for all protein remains high and we're passionate about meeting that demand sustainably," explained Justin Whitmore, Tyson Foods executive vice president corporate strategy and chief sustainability officer. "Our investment in Beyond Meat provides another fantastic alternative for consumers as we strive to sustainably feed the world."

North Queensland Live Export Cattle Bound for China  
Shan Goodwin and Jessica Johnston, Queensland Country Life | January 22, 2018
A new market for the North's beef producers has opened up after the first shipment of live cattle to China was loaded out of Townsville last week.

The consignment of 1600 crossbred cattle was prepared by the North Australian Cattle Company (NACC) and is scheduled to discharge in China's Zhejiang province this week after a 10–day voyage.

The breakthrough shipment represents the first export of northern cattle since animal health protocols with China were finalised alongside the Australia–China Free Trade Agreement in 2015.

The trade is expected have a significant influence on Australia's beef industry with exporters suggesting the Chinese demand for live cattle for immediate processing could see up to a million head a year shipped.

Zambia: DBZ Calls for Livestock Sector Sustainable Growth
Cassey Kayula, All Africa | January 22, 2018
The Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) has called for the development of the livestock sector through the provision of sustained financing options and affordable vaccines across the country.

DBZ managing director Jacob Lushinga said improved access to veterinary services and vaccines will help reduce waste and livestock disease outbreaks, especially among small holder farmers.

Botswana: Savannah Degradation Threatens Country
Esther Mmolai, All Africa | January 23, 2018
Maun — Degradation of the savannah ecosystem has emerged as a serious threat to the country's biodiversity and livestock–based economy. Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) manager, Mr Agrippa Hengari revealed during Conservation Agreement (CA) training workshop, which attracted stakeholders in Ngamiland District. He said reduced resilience of the rangeland ecosystem was increasing the vulnerability of pastoral communities to environmental change and climate change.