Cargill to extend sustainability project

According to Meatingplace, Cargill has decided to continue the Canadian Beef Sustainability Project, an effort coordinated with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

In the past, Cargill has paid premiums to producers, feeders and processors for cattle that are born on, and remain on, Verified Beef Production Plus (a program similar to Beef Quality Assurance) ranches, feedyards and processing plants from birth to packaging.

The beef from the certified sustainable cattle could be marked with a Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef logo.

According to the article, almost 3.7 million pounds of beef were produced from certified sustainable beef sources in the 12-month period of the pilot project, and demand calls for more producers to participate.

Per-head payments to participate in the program ranged from $10 to $18.24 per head.

Some producers found the program to be profitable, while others worried it was a prelude to a market-mandated program where-in producers that don’t take part in the sustainability requirements are not allowed to participate in the market.

–Staff report