What is it?
The Canadian Round Table for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) Certification is a neutral third-party certification program for beef cattle. It is centred around the following 5 principles [1]:
- Natural Resources: maintain and enhance the health of the surrounding environment
- People & the Community: recognize and respect the role of all participants within the value chain
- Animal Health & Welfare: support responsible management practices to ensure animal well-being
- Food: ensure the safety and quality of beef products
- Efficiency & Innovation: Encourage and embrace new technologies, innovations, and processes
The CRSB is focused on enabling economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable beef practices throughout the entire Canadian beef value chain.
Producer certification involves an on-site audit and records assessments. To be certified, there are specific goals within each of the 5 areas listed above that must be met. Certification must be renewed every 5 years. Once certified, the CRSB logo may be used on products.
Challenges
- Getting certified can take a significant amount of time and effort for the producer.
- Consumers may not recognize the CRSB Certified label and what it means.
How Does it Prevent AMR?
As a part of the Animal Health & Welfare principle, producers must:
- Minimize stress where possible,
- Have a disease prevention strategy for new arrivals,
- Have a valid veterinary client patient relationship.
These factors will help reduce the need for antimicrobials, and ensure that they are used responsibly when they are required.
Additional practices such as the proper use and disposal of animal health products are also addressed during CRSB certification.
Further Reading
Research Gaps
Product/Service Gaps
References
[1] Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, ‘Sustainable Beef Production Standard v1.1’. 2017. Accessed: Aug. 22, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.crsbcertified.ca/assets/Uploads/Framework-Documents/CRSB-Sustainable-Beef-Production-Standard-v1.1.pdf
