CRSB holds its Annual General Meeting celebrating 10 years of beef sustainability progress in Canada

The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and convention in Calgary, AB this week – celebrating its 10^th anniversary of bringing together a diverse community working towards a common vision for continuous improvement in social, economic and environmental aspects of the Canadian beef value chain. With over 100 registered and 95 in attendance, eight new members this year, the CRSB currently has 85 voting members from across the beef value chain and beyond.

The event kicked off with a “Harvesting Knowledge” tour included stops at Olds College and Wray Ranch – recipients of the 2023 Environmental Stewardship Award, followed by an evening reception hosted by Chop Steakhouse & Bar.

On day two, the AGM business meeting highlighted CRSB’s annual successes, including the launch of the 2^nd National Beef Sustainability Assessment and Strategy, a revised CRSB Certified program, updates to how projects will align with the Sustainability Strategy, and more. Council and committee reports were provided, and the 2024-25 CRSB Council was announced (see below).

 “The CRSB’s AGM is a great opportunity to bring everyone together and celebrate our annual successes, connect with our members and discuss challenges and opportunities for continuous improvement in the coming year,” says Ryan Beierbach, Chair of the CRSB and SK rancher.

The AGM and Convention opened with a keynote from Ashwin Ramesh, Sustainability and Impact at McDonald’s Canada on amplifying youth engagement for the next decade of responsible beef production.

Attendees heard presentations from two graduate students from the University of Calgary and University of Guelph, studying rotational grazing practices and effects on productivity, and processing of low-quality forages on animal performance, feeding behaviour and enteric methane emissions, respectively.

Honorable R.J, Sigurdson, Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation brought greetings to attendees from the Government of Alberta. A CRSB member panel marked our 10^th anniversary, Kim Cornish of Food Water Wellness spoke about insights from the Regenerative Living Lab, and the day closed with a capstone by Dr. Sarah Klopatek of JBS. The event also featured a tradeshow with 11 CRSB member booths to showcase how they contribute to the sustainability of the beef sector.

The 2024 CRSB Annual Report (Anglais / Français), released today, is available on our website in both English and French for a more detailed look at our work and accomplishments over the past year.

We would like to thank all who attended our annual meeting, and everyone who has contributed to our continued success.