Volume 12 Issue 8 • November 10th, 2014
CCA IS THE NATIONAL VOICE OF CANADA’S 68,500 BEEF FARMS
In This Issue...
• U.S. mid-term election outcome could
help fix COOL
• Sustainable Beef principles and criteria
released
• Labour issues, COOL and prices all hot
topics during CCA Alberta visit
• Applications now being accepted for
CYL mentorship program
• Studying cattle’s feed efficiency
throughout the finishing period
U.S. mid-term election outcome could help fix
COOL
Last week’s U.S. mid-term elections gave the Republican Party majority control of the U.S. Senate
and increased their majority in the House of Representatives. These results are viewed as positive
by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) in terms of how they relate to fixing U.S. mandatory
Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). The CCA has had good support in the House for fixing COOL and
that remains solid. What makes the CCA more optimistic is that Republican Senator Pat Roberts from
Kansas will almost assuredly become Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Given that Kansas
is a state that has been acutely hurt by COOL and that Kansas producers want it fixed in a manner
consistent with what the CCA is advocating, it’s anticipated that fixing COOL may well be a priority for
Senator Roberts. Former Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow’s proposal to fix COOL would
not have remedied the adverse impact that COOL is having on Canada’s livestock industry. But even
with this change in the Committee’s leadership, there is much advocacy work that CCA will need to do
in Washington, D.C.
The day following the mid-term election the Heritage Foundation, a noted Washington think-tank,
hosted a panel discussion, ‘WTO and Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling: What’s Next,’ reflecting
the fact that U.S. mandatory COOL has been a hot topic in Washington following the October 20, 2014
release of the ruling by the World Trade Organization
(WTO) Compliance Panel against the U.S. The Compliance report gave Canada another important and decisive victory at the WTO on COOL and unequivocally
supports Canada’s position that the U.S. amendments to the COOL regulation continue the discrimination
against live imports of cattle and hogs into the US marketplace. Indeed, in finding that “…the amended
COOL measure has increased the original COOL measure’s detrimental impact on the competitive opportunities of imported livestock…,” the Compliance Panel affirmed the CCA’s position that the revised regulation
is worse than the original.
• Canfax Cattle Market Forum
– register now
The panel at the Heritage Foundation event, which included CCA’s legal counsel in Washington, expressed
considerable concern that U.S. business will suffer if the U.S. Administration chooses to expend further time
and effort appealing the WTO decision. They noted that the U.S. is almost certain to lose such an appeal
and suggested that the U.S. should lead by example and fix COOL rather than continuing to flout WTO
rules. They voiced particular concern about potential retaliation by Canada and referenced a map
Volume 12 Issue 8 • November 10th, 2014
(http://coolreform.com/state-by-state-impact/retaliation-map#results) that is available on the COOL Reform Coalition’s website (http://coolreform.com)
that identifies on a state by state basis the U.S. products targeted by Canada. The panelists also highlighted the fact that COOL has already contributed to
the closure of packing plants and the loss of U.S. jobs, and indicated that would likely continue if COOL is not fixed. Further, they noted that the COOL fix
should come through a repeal of the statute’s red meat elements, as the desired fix cannot be achieved through regulatory change alone.
The impact of COOL on the combined Canadian cattle and hog sectors was estimated in 2012 to be approximately $1.1 billion per year; however, the impact has increased since the USDA amended the regulation in 2013.
The CCA wants the U.S. Congress to immediately repeal the red meat requirements of the COOL legislation or amend the statute to mandate a single label
for meat processed in the U.S., thus eliminating the need for U.S. cattle buyers to segregate imported from U.S. born livestock. Until COOL comes into
compliance with the WTO, the CCA will continue to insist that the Government of Canada prepare to impose prohibitively high tariffs on key U.S. exports to
Canada, including beef.
Sustainable Beef principles and criteria released
Last week, the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) released the long-awaited global Principles and Criteria (http://grsbeef.org/Resources/Documents/News%20Releases/GRSB%20Releases%20Global%20Principles%20and%20Criteria%20for%20Sustainable%20Beef%20%28WIth%20Links%29.
pdf) for defining sustainable beef and sustainable beef production practices. The principles and criteria are the result of a year and a half collaboration of
members of the global beef community, including the CCA, to identify and define what sustainable beef production is and how it is achieved.
The principles and criteria are broad in nature and scope, reflecting the complexities of the global beef production chain. The sustainable definition provides
a common platform and consistent approach to discuss the economic, social and environmental issues facing the global beef industry. The work will now be
for the regional roundtables, like the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), to take the global principles and develop country-specific indicators
for the criteria for eventual use in the Canadian beef industry.
CCA Manager of Environment and Sustainability Fawn Jackson was in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the GRSB. Jackson is the staff lead for the CRSB. The CRSB
was launched by the CCA to ensure Canada’s beef cattle industry has a say in how sustainability is defined and also in the recommended beef production
practices that will eventually shape the sustainable beef verification systems to be developed.
The CCA and CRSB are liaising on a pilot project with McDonald’s Canada in this regard. The fast-food corporate giant’s goal is to bring verified sustainable
beef to market beginning in 2016. McDonald’s will be working with the CCA and CRSB to develop verifiable indicators that will assist it and others in obtaining sustainable beef.
Jackson said while the development of indicators isn’t going to be a simple task, the good news is
that Canada’s beef producers to a large extent are already doing all of these practices identified as
beneficial.
The CCA also has sound sustainability building blocks in place, including the Beef InfoXchange
System (BIXS) and development of the Verified Beef Production Plus program (VBP+). The existing Verified Beef Production™ program (VBP) will evolve from the current focus on food safety, to a
four-component VBP ‘Plus’ program that also addresses biosecurity (National Beef Cattle Biosecurity
Standard), animal care (Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle) and environment.
Like VBP—which sets out standards and procedures, provides education and training, and ultimately
for those that want it, it provides producers a validation audit of on-farm food safety practices—VBP
Plus will provide a similar range of services in the areas of biosecurity, animal care and environment, as
well as food safety. The development of the VBP Plus is funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s
Growing Forward 2.
Volume 12 Issue 8 • November 10th, 2014
Labour issues, COOL and prices all hot topics during CCA Alberta visit
The last week of October was a whirlwind for CCA Manager of Federal Provincial Relations Ryder Lee. Lee was in Alberta presenting at Alberta Beef Producer (ABP) zone meetings in Medicine Hat, Youngstown, Crossfield and Leslieville. He squeezed in a last minute trip to Edmonton in order to appear via
video conference before the House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food and attended a Labour Summit in Red Deer.
A busy time for sure but Lee noted it’s always worthwhile to meet with producers face to face and discuss issues and concerns. ABP’s fall meetings
provided Lee with a good opportunity to do just that. This year there was plenty to discuss. Overall, positive attitudes prevail around cattle prices and the
market outlook. However the level of concern around labour shortages and the unavailability of workers for the industry is high. Of course there were questions about the latest developments in the ongoing WTO fight over U.S. mandatory COOL. There were also good discussions about sustainability and the
Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. These sessions and producer questions were very similar to three Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association zone
meetings Lee attended in Saskatchewan the previous week.
Lee took the opportunity to remind producers to report their sales to Canfax to ensure the future of industry programs like the Western Livestock Price
Insurance program. He also reminded people of the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) program and encouraged them to get interested industry people between the ages of 18 and 35 to look into the mentorship program. Turnout varied at these evening meetings, Lee said, noting some also had elections which
always seems to bring out more people. It seems to be this fall that producers are not seeing a ‘major problem’ to bring with them to meetings, he reported.
On the morning of October 30 Lee and CCA President Dave Solverson were in Edmonton to appear via video conference before the House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food to discuss bill C-18. This modernization bill intends to improve several Acts relating to agriculture. It will also update the
Advance Payments Program and improve it for cattle producers.
Later that same day Lee was in Red Deer for the Agriculture Labour Summit. Called ‘Putting the Action in the National Labour Plan,’ the summit was hosted
by the Agriculture Industry Labour Council of Alberta. The session shone light on the worker shortages the industry faces, some of the bureaucratic challenges and political challenges impeding improvement, and shared best practices for managing employees, Lee said.
“They also shared some great stories of people choosing to try out working in Canada and making it a permanent home while helping to build and improve
Canadian agriculture,” he said.
Lee will be at it again in the coming weeks when producers come to his home turf in Ottawa. ABP has a fly-in day on November 18 and Beef Farmers of
Ontario on November 25. Lee will be along as the producer groups bring their issues to Ottawa to discuss with Ministers and MPs and other key influencers.
Applications now being accepted for CYL mentorship program
A national youth initiative of the CCA, the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) Program provides industry-specific training and mentorship opportunities to
young producers. CYL participants have the opportunity to explore a potential career choice or involvement with a provincial/national producer organization,
while gaining the expertise and business acumen necessary to sustain the cattle industry into the future.
Each year 16 CYLs are accepted into the program and are then paired with industry leaders to begin their mentorship. CYLs have access to a $2,000
budget to spend on expenses generated by attending events such as the CCA Semi-Annual Meeting, Beef Value Chain Roundtable, and various industry
events as well as meeting with their mentor. The CYL program presents its participants with the opportunity to travel internationally. CYL has sent delegates
to events such as International Livestock Congress-USA, Canada-U.S. Roundtable discussions, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Annual Convention,
and Five Nation’s Beef Alliance Conference. There is a strong advocacy component to the program with CYLs working at educational booths at events like
the Toronto Royal Winter Fair and Calgary Stampede. The CYLs also have the opportunity to participate in training workshops for business skill development, board governance and succession planning.
Applications are now being accepted for CYL 2015 through to January 21, 2015. To apply online and for more information on the CYL program please visit
www.cattlemensyoungleaders.com
Volume 12 Issue 8 • November 10th, 2014
Studying cattle’s feed efficiency throughout the finishing period
Feed efficiency and cost of gain strongly impact feedlot profitability. Feed efficiency is thought to decline with advancing days on feed, though factors contributing to this are unclear. Understanding changes in feed efficiency over the course of the finishing period may identify opportunities to further improve
feedlot production efficiencies.
Research currently underway and funded by the National Check-off (http://www.beefresearch.ca/about/funding/national-check-off.cfm) and Canada’s Beef
Science Cluster (http://www.beefresearch.ca/about/funding/canadas-beef-science-cluster.cfm) is working to improve our understanding of how digestive
physiology, nutrient absorption, and post-absorptive nutrient utilization vary over the feeding period. This research will help to identify potential strategies to
optimize feed efficiency, animal health, and cost of production.
To learn more, see the BCRC fact sheet: http://www.beefresearch.ca/factsheet.cfm/studying-cattles-feed-efficiency-throughout-the-finishing-period-145
Canfax Cattle Market Forum – register now
The Canfax Cattle Market Forum will take place November 18-19 in Calgary. The conference offers an action-packed agenda and a speaker line-up that’s
sure to give all participants an unmatched single-day of information and perspectives on the main factors affecting the Canadian cattle markets. Go to
http://www.canfax.ca/CFX_forum_2014/ to register and/or check out the agenda and speaker line-up.
CCA Action News
Staff Contributors: John Masswohl, Fawn Jackson, Jolene Noble, Tracy Herbert, Ryder Lee
Written, edited and compiled by: Gina Teel, Anthony Murdoch
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is the national voice for Canada’s beef cattle industry representing 68,500 beef
farms and feedlots.
To sign up for CCA’s “Action News:”
For more information, contact:
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CCA Communications at [email protected] or visit our
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