U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Concludes Fifth Annual General Assembly Meeting and Looks to the Future
FRESNO, Calif. (May 2, 2019) — This week, the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) concluded its fifth annual General Assembly meeting, wrapping up three days of successful tours and meetings in Fresno, Calif. The 2019 meeting brought together more than 100 stakeholders including representatives from major food and retail companies, cattle producers, veterinarians, scientists, financial service representatives and non-governmental organizations.
The meeting reflected on the organization’s progress during the past year, including the adoption and launch of the U.S. Beef Industry Sustainability Framework, the first-ever resource that leverages individual opportunities for continuous improvement in sustainability across the full beef value-chain.
An official USRSB recognition program that distinguishes individuals and companies that adopt the Framework was also established and adopted during the assembly.
Attendees visited Bear Valley Ranch, a cow-calf operation in the central valley of California, as well as feeding and processing facilities of Harris Ranch Beef Company feeding and processing facilities.
Additionally, USRSB announced its acceptance as an ex-officio member into the International Antimicrobial Stewardship Consortium (ICASA). The Consortium is a collection of cross-species stakeholders looking to develop and publish research to address animal health. USRSB is among three ICASA ex-officio members alongside the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and National Pork Producers.
“From acceptance into esteemed stakeholder groups, to the rollout of an industry-wide sustainability framework, USRSB has established itself as the collaborative voice for beef sustainability,” said Ben Weinheimer, the newly elected chair of USRSB. “Our collective efforts help to tell the beef sustainability story. We now have a set of resources individual operations and organizations can use to highlight their commitment to animal care and environmental stewardship while continuing to produce healthy and delicious beef that people all over the world enjoy.”
Education and outreach will be USRSB’s focus in 2019.
“We identified numerous industry events where we can showcase the U.S. Beef Industry Sustainability Framework, and we are adding more each month,” said Weinheimer. “The goal of USRSB is to help the industry implement these voluntary resources that not only strengthen beef sustainability, but also address societal pressure to build consumer trust in U.S. beef.”
Weinheimer, who is vice president of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, was one of three newly elected officers of the USRSB. Wayne Morgan of Golden State Foods was elected as the USRSB chair-elect and Scott Anderson of CRI Feeders was elected as the organization secretary/treasurer.
Newly elected board members include: Jessica Finck, Merck Animal Health; Chad Ellis, Noble Research Institute; Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, JBS USA; Steve Wooten, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association; and Caitlin Colegrove, Target Corporation.
To learn more about USRSB’s efforts during 2018, explore the organization’s 2018 Annual Report.
The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) is a multi-stakeholder initiative developed to advance, support and communicate continuous improvement in sustainability of the U.S. beef value chain. The USRSB achieves this through leadership, innovation, multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration. For more information please visit the USRSB website at www.usrsb.org or email usrsb@beef.org.