Sustainability Projects and Initiatives Submission Form

Sustainability Projects and Initiatives Submission Form

Overview of the Project or Initiative

Project or Initiative Title:*

Provide a concise and descriptive title for your project or initiative.

Project or Initiative Description*

Provide a brief overview of your project, including its goals, key activities and expected outcomes.

*Document files (executive summary, full project methodology, reports, etc.) can be uploaded at the end of this section.

Start Date

When did/will the project begin?

End Date

When is the project or initiative expected to be completed?

Project Status

Indicate the current status of the project or initiative:

Planning

Ongoing / Active

Completed

On Hold

Project Category

Select the categories that best describes your project or initiative:

Upload Project Files

Please upload all relevant project or initiative documents here. (e.g., executive summary, methodology details, reports, etc.)

Drag and drop files here or

Team Information

Lead Organization*

Project Lead

Name and title of the person leading the project or initiative.

Project Partners

Name of organizations and/or individuals involved in the project or initiative.

Funding Sources

Organizations or grants that are providing financial support.

Contact Name*

Team member (name and title) submitting the form and/or who will receive follow-up communication from CRSB.

Contact Email*

Contact Phone Number

Phone

Alignment with CRSB Priorities

Projects will be evaluated based on alignment with CRSB's National Beef Sustainability Strategy (2024-2023) and Research Priorities and Recommendations.

For this section, please select all options that apply for each question before advancing to the next, as follow-up questions may appear and cause movement of the questions for each selection made.

Strategic Action Item #1 - Sustainability Community*

1.1 Strengthen CRSB’s reputation as the trusted organization for beef sustainability in Canada.

1.2 Build shared understanding of the balanced health of people, animals and the environment.

1.3 Establish and maintain strong relationships, partnerships and communication with the scientific community.

1.4 Further engage youth leaders in CRSB’s work.

1.5 Inform and support information-sharing that advances the sustainability of the Canadian beef value chain.

1.1 Strategic Action Sub-items

1.1.1 Facilitate strategic relationships, ensure meaningful engagement opportunities, and deliver robust, transparent, credible, science-based programs to collaborate, measure and advance sustainability in the beef industry and beyond.

1.1.2 Provide a forum to discuss value chain topics and support members’ efforts to create programs and initiatives that have a meaningful and measurable impact on beef sustainability.

1.1.3 Develop and coordinate simple, science-based messaging on continuous improvement in Canadian beef sustainability

1.1.4 Promote acknowledgement and use of CRSB National Beef Sustainability Assessment report as a credible Canadian beef-specific source for data and metrics in national and international reports.

1.2 Strategic Action Sub-items

1.2.1 Build a common vision through relationships with relevant sectors, disciplines, and communities to collaboratively foster the well-being of animal, human, and ecosystem health through Canadian beef production.

1.3 Strategic Action Sub-items

1.3.1 Encourage and ensure alignment in research priorities and data needs with partners, CRSB membership and the scientific community.

1.4 Strategic Action Sub-items

1.4.1 Collaborate with and support the beef industry’s youth development programs.

1.4.2 Support knowledge transfer in partnership with beef industry supporters and other agriculture-based programs.

1.5 Strategic Action Sub-items

1.5.1 Facilitate increased collaboration and communication to encourage data and information sharing across the Canadian beef value chain

1.5.2 Actively participate in the Canadian Beef Advisors and support achievement of the 2030 Canadian Beef Goals.

1.5.3 Take a leadership role in sustainable agriculture initiatives in Canada, and actively support and encourage multi-stakeholder collaborative approaches.

1.5.4 Maintain active leadership roles within GRSB.

1.5.5 Support knowledge transfer and facilitate practical adoption of sustainable practices, based on scientific research, including financial incentives, risk reduction mechanisms and importance for the reputation of the industry

Research Priority #1 - Sustainability Community

1.1 Improve data sharing and data access

1.2 Develop a systematic data collection process

1.3 Increase the response rate to NBSA surveys

Strategic Action Item #2 - GHGs & Carbon*

2.1 Encourage research and collaboration to optimize cattle diets

2.2 Promote implementation of practices to enhance manure management.

2.3 Collaborate with initiatives that work to safeguard carbon storage and increase carbon sequestration.

2.4 Collaborate with initiatives that support improvements in feed and forage production.

2.5 Collaborate with initiatives that develop genetic selection tools that reduce GHG emissions.

2.6 Measure and disseminate the Canadian beef industry’s GHG footprint and carbon stock.

2.7 Promote communication and knowledge transfer between the research community and producers to increase uptake of practices that reduce GHG emissions and improve carbon sequestration.

2.1 Strategic Action Sub-items

2.1.1 Collaborate with stakeholders to understand &identify rations, feed additives, approved alt. ingredients, methods and tech on a regional basis, that minimize enteric and manure related emissions while maintaining/enhancing animal prod&health

2.1.2 Collaborate with organizations that deliver producer extension and adoption to encourage uptake of rations feed additives, alt. ingredients, methods and tech that minimize enteric/manure related emissions while maint/enhancing animal prod&health.

2.1.3 Encourage research to explore the potential for lower emission feedstuffs and use of by-products in cattle diets.

2.2 Strategic Action Sub-items

2.2.1 Support further development and uptake of manure management practices and handling systems to limit manure related emissions and impacts.

2.2.2 Collaborate to understand and identify the most effective means of managing manure and minimizing manure-related emissions.

2.2.3 Promote subsequent producer extension.

2.3 Strategic Action Sub-items

2.3.1 Identify the business case and enhance understanding and adoption of grazing management practices that measure, monitor and increase carbon stock and sequestration.

2.3.2 Encourage and support programs, policies, partnerships and communication strategies that maintain and restore native grassland, pasture and rangeland acres

2.3.3 Support research and encourage development of tools to enhance/enable measurement of carbon storage/sequestration on land managed by beef producers at a more granular level.

2.3.4 Support knowledge transfer and extension activities (eg. workshops) and tools to provide producers with the most up to date beneficial management practices.

2.4 Strategic Action Sub-items

2.4.1 Share research and build awareness and understanding of best management practices that reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of feed and forage production while ensuring producer economic sustainability

2.4.2 Provide support to projects that seek to develop technologies that improve feed and forage production.

2.5 Strategic Action Sub-items

2.5.1 Advocate for the advancement of data-driven genetic decisions across the entire beef production chain

2.5.2 Collaborate with organizations that quantify the impact of genetic selection and improved animal efficiency on GHGs

2.5.3 Encourage and collaborate with organizations that deliver extension to increase adoption of genetic selection tools that reduce GHG emissions.

2.6 Strategic Action Sub-items

2.6.1 Help drive scaled adoption of on-farm data collection methods and data sharing to enhance future Life Cycle Analysis (LCAs).

Research Priority #2 - GHGs & Carbon

2.1 Reducing GHG emissions on-farm

2.2 Carbon storage and sequestration

2.3 Manure storage and handling to reduce emissions

2.4 Dairy-beef environmental contributions

2.1 Research Sub-area

2.1.1 Feed - yields, quality, digestibility, efficiency, etc.

2.1.2 Innovations/Management

2.1.3 Animal Productivity - health, genetics, reproduction, etc.

2.2 Research Sub-area

2.2.1 Satellite data

2.2.2 Carbon protocols

2.2.3 Carbon stock assessment

2.2.4 Carbon stock change per cover type

Strategic Action Item #3 - Food Loss & Waste and Carcass Utilization*

3.1 Encourage programs and projects that help food diversion efforts and reduce barriers to implementation.

3.2 Further enhance understanding of food loss and waste in the Canadian beef value chain.

3.3 Encourage research and adoption of packaging that enhances product life, and reduces food waste and environmental impact while aligning with ongoing national and global initiatives.

3.4 Support initiatives to improve carcass quality and utilization.

3.1 Strategic Action Sub-item

3.1.1 Support initiatives that reduce food loss and waste throughout the supply chain

3.2 Strategic Action Sub-items

3.2.1 Encourage collaboration and coordination across agricultural sectors to ensure information sharing regarding policies, rules & regulations for upcycling by-products and utilizing food waste.

3.2.2 Promote data collection regarding meat loss and waste throughout the supply chain

3.4 Strategic Action Sub-items

3.4.1 Support dialogue on Specified Risk Material (SRM) regulations regarding reducing waste at packing plants.

3.4.2 Continue knowledge transfer activities targeted at producers to improve carcass quality through nutritional management, genetic selection, breeding, carcass grading and sorting.

3.4.3 Encourage continued investments in research and promotion aimed at developing new beef cuts aimed at better carcass utilization and finding markets for them.

Research Priority #3 - Food Loss & Waste and Carcass Utilization

3.1 Canadian specific information regarding food waste

Strategic Action Item #4 - Land Use and Biodiversity*

4.1 Support the creation and adoption of ecosystem services payments, markets and producer incentives.

4.2 Facilitate collaboration across stakeholder groups to develop a shared understanding of the challenges and potential solutions to promote biodiversity.

4.3 Support work that builds understanding and enhances or restores habitat quality and quantity on beef [production] operations.

4.4 Build further awareness and use of range health assessments by producers

4.1 Strategic Action Sub-items

4.1.1 Support the development and dissemination of tools that monitor and measure environmental deliverables from beef production.

4.1.2 Promote coordination and streamlining of funding programs for producers

4.1.3 Share science-based information and facilitate collaboration in this area.

4.3 Strategic Action Sub-item

4.3.1 Encourage mechanisms that enable farmers and ranchers to provide production systems that are beneficial to both wildlife and the operation.

4.4 Strategic Action Sub-items

4.4.1 Support work of organizations enhancing awareness and adoption of tools to improve rangeland health.

4.4.2 Collaborate to build more awareness of the benefits of a healthy landscape to the ranch business.

Research Priority #4 - Land Use and Biodiversity

4.1 Quantify the economic, agronomic and biodiversity benefits of integrated annual crop, forage and beef production systems.

4.2 Improve land use data quality

4.3 Rotational grazing, understanding of stocking capacity and grazing days per acre, and soil health

4.4 Update Wildlife Habitat Capacity Index (AAFC)

4.5 Variety in biodiversity assessments

4.4 Research Sub-area

4.4.1 Granularity of breeding and feeding habitat requirements and impacts of species when increasing/decreasing in population separately, on different cover types and by considering taxonomic groups or endangered species separately.

4.4.2 Better understand how grazing systems and management practices can affect biodiversity using multi-taxon criteria.

Strategic Action Item #5 - Water*

5.1 Build further beef producer understanding, awareness and use of riparian health assessments by supporting organizations that are enhancing awareness and promoting adoption of tools.

5.2 Collaborate with stakeholders to further measure the relationship between beef production and wetland conservation, and the associated ecosystem services being provided

5.3 Partner with organizations that deliver producer extension to encourage uptake of practices to preserve wetlands.

5.4 Build awareness about the limitations in water risk assessments and the importance of local context when interpreting the results, both nationally and internationally.

5.5 Support innovation that increases water use efficiency within the processing and packaging sectors.

5.6 Support improvement in feed yields/productivity, drought resistance and irrigation practices to reduce the blue water footprint of feed.

5.4 Strategic Action Sub-items

5.4.1 Support further research to improve capability of tools to assess cattle-specific factors.

5.4.2 Promote further understanding of how on-farm practices affect water quality, taking into account regional variability

5.5 Strategic Action Sub-item

5.5.1 Encourage government investments in research and technology related to water use efficiency within the processing and packaging sectors.

5.6 Strategic Action Sub-items

5.6.1 Encourage investments in research and technology related to improving feed yields/productivity, drought resistance and irrigation practices.

5.6.2 Encourage and collaborate with organizations that deliver producer extension to support the adoption of practices aimed at improving feed yields/productivity, drought resistance and irrigation practices.

Research Priority #5 - Water

5.1 Water use

5.2 Water risk

5.3 Water Quality

5.1 Research Sub-area

5.1.1 Encourage implementation of efficient measures for irrigation in the Prairies including efficient equipment and systems.

5.1.2 Encourage full Life Cycle Inventories to be completed for feed grains used in beef production, including water footprint analysis. Current data from the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops only provides GHG emission data.

5.2 Research Sub-area

5.2.1 Develop a regionalized method capable of understanding on-farm practices and cattle specific factors related to water risk.

5.2.2 Quantify the water security risk to forage, grasslands and feed production for beef production across Canada posed by projected climate change.

5.3 Research Sub-area

5.3.1 Quantify the value of grasslands and agricultural management practices that provide benefits (such as groundwater recharge, water filtration of runoff, faster recovery from flood or drought).

5.3.2 Develop a National Riparian Health Indicator potentially using satellite data.

5.3.3 Quantify the impact of native and tame pasture management on water use, cycles and watersheds in eastern Canada.

5.3.4 Quantify P excretion rates of grazing animals, and N impacts on GHG emissions and eutrophication

Strategic Action Item #6 - Labour*

6.1 Support initiatives that increase labour availability, training, recruitment and retention.

6.2 Promote implementation of practices to enhance labour management.

6.3 Support adoption of best management practices, business tools and new technology to reduce workloads across the beef supply chain, focusing particularly on family farm businesses, while considering the practicality of implementation.

6.2 Strategic Action Sub-items

6.2.1 Support initiatives to increase communications skills and dispute resolution.

6.2.2 Promote professional development of employees and employers.

Research Priority #6 - Labour

6.1 Workload factors

Strategic Action Item #7 - Health & Safety*

7.1 Collaborate regarding on-farm health and safety awareness and best practices implementation.

7.2 Enable dialogues regarding health and safety, including mental well-being, for all beef value chain participants.

7.3 Promote a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and transparency for all people within the beef supply chain.

7.1 Strategic Action Sub-items

7.1.1 Support farm safety capacity and adoption of best practices through knowledge-sharing and training promotion

7.1.2 Encourage development and implementation of farm safety plans on beef operations.

7.1.3 Promote and encourage initiatives that build awareness and provide supports related to workload, labour and stress implications for physical and mental health and farm safety.

7.1.4 Encourage identification and removal of economic barriers to implementation of new on-farm technologies.

7.2 Strategic Action Sub-items

7.2.1 Encourage safety awareness, access to training and adoption of best practices to prevent safety-related incidents across the beef supply chain.

7.2.2 Encourage considerations around health and safety as part of business planning and risk management.

7.2.3 Support continued engagement with government and policy makers regarding the development and implementation of

practical] policies and regulations related to farm safety.

7.3 Strategic Action Sub-item

7.3.1 Support protection of rights of all workers, and a culture of safety, particularly for those who may be at increased risk.

Research Priority #7 - Health & Safety

7.1 Farm health and safety - accident prevention

7.2 Mental health and wellbeing

Strategic Action Item #8 - Animal Care*

8.1 Increase communication and coordination between all stakeholders to ensure animal health and welfare at every stage of the beef cattle life cycle.

8.2 Promote animal care awareness and implementation of practices through the dissemination of the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle.

8.3 Promote awareness of best practices for animal handling with respect to transport.

8.4 Support research, innovation and knowledge transfer regarding animal care protocols and products.

8.5 Communicate the importance of adoption of pain control protocols and products.

8.6 Improve genetic selection tools that support animal welfare, while considering environmental or productivity benefits.

8.1 Strategic Action Sub-items

8.1.1 Support tools to share animal health records/information throughout the supply chain to improve performance, animal welfare, quality and sustainability.

8.1.2 Encourage the continued adoption of animal management record-keeping tools and the information they can provide to producers to help inform future decision-making about their herds.

8.2 Strategic Action Sub-items

8.2.1 Collaborate on the update of the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle.

8.2.2 Encourage adoption of management practices that improve the health and welfare of animals, using the Code as a reference.

8.2.3 Encourage added veterinarian (and veterinary technician) capacity with large animal expertise.

8.3 Strategic Action Sub-items

8.3.1 Support and promote training related to all aspects of animal transportation

8.3.2 Support strategies to enhance animal welfare during the transport process

8.4 Strategic Action Sub-items

8.4.1 Pain control products and protocols

8.4.2 Technology for early detection of animal disease and health issues

8.4.3 Animal welfare related to transport.

8.6 Strategic Action Sub-item

8.6.1 Support data-driven genetic decisions throughout the beef production chain.

Research Priority #8 - Animal Care

8.1 Pain mitigation practices

8.2 Beef Code of Practice

Strategic Action Item #9 - Antimicrobial Use*

9.1 Build shared understanding for the importance of balanced health for people, animals and the environment in regard to antimicrobial use in beef cattle.

9.2 Promote the importance of veterinarian client-patient relationship (VCPR) regarding responsible antimicrobial use.

9.3 Support understanding of the importance of antimicrobials as a proven science-based tool in the beef industry to ensure animal care.

9.1 Strategic Action Sub-items

9.1.1 Support the development of a database for robust measuring and monitoring of antimicrobial use and resistance, aligned with the National Beef Antimicrobial Research Strategy.

9.1.2 Support the further development, dissemination and implementation of best practices regarding antimicrobial use.

9.2 Strategic Action Sub-items

9.3.1 Support continued research related to antimicrobials and livestock production, including potential ways to reduce their usage, including novel alternatives.

9.3.2 Evaluate perceptions and support producer understanding and best practices with respect to antimicrobial use.

9.3.3 Promote policy maker and public understanding, and measure changing perceptions related to the importance of antimicrobial use in Canadian beef production.

Research Priority #9 - Antimicrobial Use

9.1 Monitoring of antibiotic use and responsible management

Strategic Action Item #10 - Producer Viability*

10.1 Support increasing producer financial literacy and viability

10.2 Encourage financial incentives for beef producers related to ecosystems goods and services provided by the beef industry.

10.3 Support innovation, research, refinement and commercialization of technologies throughout the supply chain that support economic viability and worker conditions.

10.1 Strategic Action Sub-item

10.1.1 Encourage initiatives that support the development of business plans and business risk management for farm businesses.

10.2 Strategic Action Sub-item

10.2.1 Collaborate with producers, supply chain partners and policy-makers to develop programs that are credible, deliver economic value to producers for sustainable practices, and support continuous improvement in ecosystem benefits.

Research Priority #10 - Producer Viability

10.1 Economics of adopting recommended management practices

10.2 Quantify the value of natural capital from beef production

10.3 Increases uptake of sustainable production practices aligned with Certified Sustainable Beef Framework

10.1 Research Sub-area

10.1.1 Evaluate various winter-feeding strategies as feed is a major cost.

10.1.2 Identify practices for different production systems that result in win-win situations that are both lower cost of production and have lower economic impact.

10.2 Research Sub-area

10.2.1 Evaluate ways that natural capital can be monetized for producers to discourage land use conversion.

10.3 Research Sub-area

10.3.1 Support research to better understand producer decision making around barriers and adoption of sustainability practices.

10.3.2 Support ongoing and existing technology transfer efforts by industry.

Strategic Action Item #11 - Consumer Resilience*

11.1 Support increased capacity of the beef supply chain to respond to market demands.

11.2 Support responsible communication of production practices that are of interest and concern to consumers.

11.3 Promote knowledge transfer and acceptance of sustainable and safe beef production technologies by producers, customers, and policymakers, in both domestic and international markets.

Research Priority #11 - Consumer Resilience

11. Niche markets

Your Request of CRSB

CRSB will evaluate and consider involvement with projects or initiatives at the following levels:

Monitor = Inclusion in the CRSB Projects & Initiatives Database, with periodic check-ins on the status and progress. (Default)
Contribute = CRSB will provide input, direction or data without our contributions being acknowledged.
Support = CRSB will provide input, direction or data with acknowledgement of our contributions.
Participate = CRSB will actively collaborate or partner.
Fund = CRSB may provide a financial contribution for a specific purpose.
Develop = CRSB leads the creation and resourcing of a new project or initiative.

Specific Considerations

Is there specific information or needs that CRSB should consider in their evaluation of this project or initiative?

(e.g. focus of the review, data request, time commitment, deadlines, etc.)

Expectations from CRSB

What are your expectations of CRSB from submitting your project or initiative to the CRSB database and/or seeking greater CRSB involvement?

Additional Information

Featured Communications

Do you give CRSB permission to highlight this project through our communication channels (e.g. website feature, social media, event presentations, etc.)? Your approval will be sought on all communications materials before they are shared publicly.

Yes

Project Website or Social Media

If available, share links to your project or initiative's website or social media pages.

Submission Acknowledgement

By submitting your project or initiative, you confirm that you have the authority to share this information and that the information you have provided is accurate. Once your submission is reviewed and approved it will be added to the CRSB Projects & Initiatives database and, if requested, evaluated for further CRSB involvement.

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