FCC announces support for beef sustainability program

(Lara de Moissac/RealAgriculture)

Canadian beef producers who are certified through the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), are now eligible to receive an incentive payment from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) of up to $2,000.

Curtis Granger, director of lending products and sustainability programs with FCC, says the main motivation behind the incentive payment is to increase certification for FCC customers.

“[It will] be a catalyst for more producers to get certified through the CRSB, and we found that recognizing what the producers already certified were is, was an important first step,” says Granger.

The payment amount will be calculated as a portion of their lending with FCC to a maximum of $2,000 per year. Additionally, those producers who are certified are able to re-apply for the for the incentive payment.

Anne Wasko, chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, says this commitment from FCC is a positive first step in acknowledging those producers who have chosen to follow the certified sustainable standards.

“We applaud Farm Credit Canada for seeing the benefits of CRSB certified beef production practices. FCC is the first financial institution to recognize their customers who are CRSB certified with an incentive payment,” says Wasko. “We really think these incentives, whatever form they might be on — whether it’s coming from a processor, or from a packer — it’s incentive of what’s going to drive the supply. We continually hear that the CRSB supply of certified beef is not meeting the demand, and then demand is certainly outpacing the supply.”

Currently there are three certification bodies across Canada including the Verified Beef Production Plus, Where Food Comes From Canada, and the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program. Producers are able to allocate the incentive payment towards the certification process, however, Wasko says there are many different areas where the payment could help out beef producers.

Check out the full conversation with Curtis Granger, Anne Wasko, and RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney, below:

 

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