Канадские фермеры-производители говядины получат $400 за получение сертификата CRSB

CRSB certification now comes with a $400 thank you to Canadian beef farmers The new CRSB payment to certified sustainable Canadian beef farmers replaces Cargill’s transitional credit and lands regardless of where cattle are processed For the past few years, the number of new producers earning certification through the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has slowed down. This could be for many reasons, such as the effort required to get the audit done and make management changes and a lack of perceived financial benefit. With prices the way they are, producers want to make sure they are getting the best bang for their buck. However, a new producer incentive, as well as overall benefits from the requirements, could have a positive economic benefit. “Part of the whole push for this incentive is it will help address some of the producer concerns to help grow the number of farms and ranches that are certified,” said Ryan Beierbach, chair of the CRSB. What the $400 payment requires The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef has created a new incentive for anyone who is CRSB certified. Those who meet the criteria will receive $400 in October 2026 as part of the CRSB Certified Producer Initiative. The incentive program will continue annually, with future annual incentive payments based on CRSB Certified beef sold. Any future payments will be calculated based on available funds and distributed evenly. Read Also Certified sustainable beef The initiative takes the place of the previous Cargill Recognition Credit but is delivered by CRSB, which is funded by CRSB supply chain partners. Cargill will continue to pay the $20 Qualifying Cattle Credit. The initial credit, offered by Cargill, was a top up to $400. The credit was intended as a transitional incentive, with the expectation that it would eventually be replaced by the broader CRSB Certified Producer Incentive program. The program will pay those eligible $400 in 2026, no matter where their cattle are processed. “Part of it is listening to producers, and they wanted something consistent so that they knew what to expect, as far as an incentive. So this was something that we could put out where they knew what they were going to get this year,” Beierbach said in a recent interview with Glacier FarmMedia. Requirements for this new incentive consist of: - Becoming CRSB Certified and/or maintaining certification. - Sharing information with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) to support chain-of-custody tracking. This is done via the producer’s certification body (eg. Verified Beef Production Plus, or VBP+). - Submitting cattle birth dates to the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) for cow-calf operations, which starts the CRSB Certified supply chain. - Submitting move-in events in the CLTS for backgrounding and feedlot operations, which is required to track CRSB Certified cattle through the supply chain. “To me, I see this as more a thank you to producers for that effort and time they put into maintaining their certification rather than us trying to pay them to do it. For me at least, it’s not the primary reason that I’m certified,” Beierbach said. Beierbach has been chair for the CRSB since 2022. He ranches near Whitewood, Sask., where he has around 700 head of cattle. He himself has been CRSB certified for eight or nine years, and he has seen the value in it firsthand. “For me as a producer, probably the biggest thing is 10 years ago, we’d hear people talking about how cattle are bad for the environment, and I guess as ranchers, we knew that it wasn’t true, but there wasn’t really a way for us to tell our story. The CRSB is a way that I can help tell my story.” Other producers have seen not just personal value, but economic value as well. Fire extinguishers and other unexpected gains Sean McGrath’s commitment to sustainable beef goes back before the launch of the formal CRSB certified program. He participated in predecessor programs delivered through VBP+, which is now an approved certification body for the CRSB Certified program. McGrath is from Vermilion, Alta., and is both a rancher and a consultant. He decided to do it just because it seemed like the right thing to do. From the get-go, McGrath saw value in it. “The training was actually really valuable; there (were) a lot of things that we were doing a good job, but we didn’t know,” he said. Since then, other benefits have become apparent as well. McGrath said sometimes he receives money he isn’t even expecting from incentives. “It’s kind of a nice surprise, getting $20 a head from Cargill, and it kind of comes up out of the blue. It’s not going to change the world, but it’s kind of nice getting some fun money that you weren’t expecting.” McGrath is sure he has gotten more out of the program than he has invested. For him, benefits from being certified don’t just come from the economic side of things. He also sees more hidden benefits from the requirements. For example, McGrath has seen improvements in his record-keeping and in farm safety, including things he never even thought about, like fire extinguishers. “We hadn’t even thought about it, but $100 (for a fire extinguisher), it’s probably a pretty good idea,” McGrath said. “It’s things like that that don’t seem that significant, but I know it’s made our operation better.” Beierbach said the audit process can bring forward ideas for improving an operation, even when they aren’t part of the audit requirements. “It’s just an extra set of eyes that have seen a lot of different ranches and an extra voice, so I know I picked up a few little things that I changed that help my ranch,” Beierbach said in a recent interview. Why the audit puts producers off Producers might hesitate to get certified for a variety of reasons. One common concern is regarding the audit process. In McGrath’s experience, the audit isn’t to prove something is wrong, but instead to highlight what you are doing right on your operation and ways to improve. “It’s identifying areas and opportunities for improvement. How you get from point A to point B doesn’t matter. It’s not a prescribed set of steps … so it’s totally applicable to your operation, what fits.” What certification involves Certification runs through an approved third-party body such as VBP+, with an on-farm assessment verifying against the CRSB production standard. The standard covers five principles: - natural resources (land, water and air) - people and community - animal health and welfare - food safety and quality - efficiency and innovation Though it may seem onerous, VBP+ certification is automatic CRSB certification, so producers are getting two certifications from a single audit. Beierbach thinks there are a couple of reasons certification has slowed down. Some producers are unsure what benefits the incentives may provide or whether they will qualify for the different incentives available. And, with the current market, incentives aren’t as much of a draw when cattle are selling for such high prices. “They’re maybe not looking quite as hard at the little things that maybe add a few dollars here and there,” Beierbach said. “This is more doing the right thing and showing that you’re doing the right thing, showing that you’re part of it.” Cost could be a barrier, too. The cost of certification is set by the certification body and has a range of fees depending on the type of operation. For example, for cow-calf operations, grasser/stocker operations or short-term backgrounding operations, it costs $250 per year to get certified through VBP+. Other operations, like backgrounding or finishing feedyards, or operations that are cow-calf through to finishing, it costs $350 per year. The CRSB Certified Producer Initiative more than covers that annual fee. The other money on the table The CRSB Certified Producer Initiative is the latest incentive, but there are a few others that have been around for years. Those who are certified and are Farm Credit Canada (FCC) customers in good standing can receive up to $4,000 per year through an incentive tied to their eligible FCC lending. As mentioned before, there are the Cargill Qualifying Cattle Credits, of up to $20 per head. To be eligible, cattle must be on a CRSB Certified farm for their whole life, their birth dates must be submitted, as well as movements from farm to farm, to the CLTS. Certified operations also have to consent to share their operation information and certification status with the CCIA to verify their active certification status. There are a few other financial breaks, as well. For example, the Saskatchewan government offers an Assurance System Producer Program, which provides rebates for veterinary assessments, audits by VBP+ and qualifying equipment that improves biosecurity and animal welfare. Similar programs are offered in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. Ryan Beierbach’s time as chair of the CRSB is coming to an end this year, but he still believes strongly in the organization and hopes more will feel the same and get certified. “Once I got involved with the CRSB, I’ve seen a lot of the things they do as far as helping have a stronger voice for the beef industry,” he said.