The VBP+ program was developed by the cattle sector, for the cattle sector. It is meant to be simple, practical and trusted. It is a food safety-based program that is designed on the principles of an international quality control program called Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). It is recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and is now a certification body for the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). The Certified Sustainable Program currently offered through Cargill Guelph, provides financial credits to producers along the supply chain who have been audited by either VBP+ or Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance (OCFBQA) as the CRSB certification body. For cattle to be eligible for financial credits through the Cargill Certified Sustainable Program, they must be raised their whole life on farms that have been audited, they must be age verified, and their movements from farm to farm must be traced. To learn more about age verification and chain of custody requirements with CCIA, please click here.
The certified sustainable supply chain enables consumer-facing sustainability claims, and makes it clear to consumers that they are purchasing Certified Sustainable Beef (CSB), all while showcasing the Canadian beef industry’s dedication to transparency. There is growing demand for CSB as retailers and food service providers like McDonald’s, Walmart, Chop Steakhouse and Bar, Gordon Foodservice, Loblaws, and Harvey’s are all sourcing a portion of their beef with the CSB claim. To meet this growing demand, more Ontario cattle need to be enrolled in certified on-farm quality assurance programs.