The Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program has been approved as the certification body Certified Sustainable Beef Framework’s Sustainable Beef Production Standard for beef feedlot operations in Ontario.
The standard, under the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), will be an additional offering of quality assurance programs certified by Ontario Corn Fed Beef, streamlining the audit process, and help meet consumer demand for sustainably-raised beef.
“The vision of the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program since its inception in 2001 was to ensure the long-term viability of cattle production in the province of Ontario. The program has grown to over 500 registered members who produce over 300,000 cattle annually, becoming one of the largest farm family-owned beef programs in Canada,” says Anne Wasko, chair of the CRSB.
The Ontario Corn Fed Beef Program is a leader in on-farm quality assurances and branding, says Jim Clark, executive director of the Ontario Cattle Feeders Association and the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program. “With over 500 feedlots in Ontario already certified under the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance program and strong retail and food service partners who have been very clear in their desire to source beef from certified sustainable farms in Ontario, we have a strong base to start with,” he says.
Richard Horne, executive director of the Beef Farmers of Ontario, says that local beef raised under a quality assurance program was identified through public research as an important purchasing driver for consumers. “Having a made-in-Ontario program that is also recognized nationally will serve our members and consumers well,” he says.
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