The newest initiative, which kicks off this month, has significant scale and will incorporate, and explore, new technologies. It will include only Canadian cattle, starting with animals processed at Cargill’s High River, Alberta, facility.
Using the Canadian beef industry’s existing radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag system, cattle will be tracked by the Beef Info-Exchange System (BIXS) from the time cattle producers tag them, through processing at Cargill’s High River beef plant. Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) – overseen by the Beef Cattle Research Council and operated with the assistance of provincial cattle organizations – will be the first certification body utilized to audit cattle producers who choose to participate.
A unique aspect of this pilot involves rewarding participating cattle producers as a way to help offset the increased costs associated with implementing and running the pilot. McDonald’s Canada, Loblaw Companies Limited and the Swiss Chalet Rotisserie and Grill restaurant unit of Vaughan, Ontario-based CARA Operations Ltd., are the Cargill customers initially participating in this pilot.
“Ongoing, verified, sustainable beef supply is the focus for yearlong effort leveraging technology and collaboration”