Keeping Up with theTimes

By Emma Cross, on contract with Verified Beef Production Plus

How VBP+ Has Grown with the Industry

For the commercial cattleman, the bottom line is much more than a benchmark. Profit is the difference between ranching another day

and hanging up your hat for good.

However, profitability is a moving target for a commercial producer. Over the years, beef production has changed to match consumer expectations and desires, right down to the cow/calflevel.Sinceconsumersspeakwiththeir wallets, producers have had to shift their production practices in accordance with changing policies based on public want and need. Luckily, entities like Verified Beef Production Plus exist to help producers navigate these changing tides to remain profitable in new supply chains.

In2004,theVerifiedBeefProduction(VBP) program was developed by industry as a progression of the educational Quality Starts Here initiative of the Canadian Cattlemen ’ s Association. At the time, the VBP program helped producers demonstrate their attention to hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) by validating practices on-farm.

However, consumer demands since the launch of the VBP program have expanded to include expectations beyond food safety alone. Afterthreeyearsofworkonexpansion,in2016, the Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) program was launched. To this day, the VBP+ program incorporates a combination of trainingandauditingintheareasofanimalcare, biosecurity, environmental stewardship, and on-farm food safety.

Standards of the VBP+ program are aligned with the national On-Farm Food Safety Standards, National Farm Animal Care Council Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of BeefCattle,the Canadian On-Farm Biosecurity Standard, and key indicators of the Canadian Roundtablefor Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

For a commercial producer, this means that VBP+ offers a centralized avenue to meet a wide varietyofconsumerdesires,inturn ensuring a market for their cattle.

In2019,VBP+shiftedto national delivery rather than delivery through provincial partners. This facilitated the development of a unified process for training auditors,standardizedreview of regular assessments and standardization of audit process that has allowed VBP+ to partner with otherimportantstakeholdersinsustainablebeef supply chains. In short, national delivery has allowed the program to secure key marketing opportunities for certified producers.

VBP+, through one audit, can now audit producers not only to the VBP+ standard, but through equivalency, producers are audited to the standard of the Certifed Sustainable Beef Framework as well. So, VBP+ certified producers can access supply chains leading to major retailers like McDonald’ s and Walmart. Aswell,VBP+isworkingwiththestakeholders to expand options for third-party verification for the GEP-free program that would allow us to help producers in Canada access the market into the European Union.

Shifts in the marketing strategies of major players in Canadian and international beef marketsshowacleartrendtowardsmeetingthe wishes of the modern public. Today, many consumersarewillingtoshiftawayfromeating beef if their expectations are not met. VBP+ seeks to help Canadian beef producers meet those demands to maintain the prosperity of our industry.

While the VBP+ program has changed substantially since the VBP launch in 2004, growth is far from over. However, the constant guiding force will remain to help producers access avenues to market their cattle. In the coming years, this will likely take shape in the form of increased training opportunities and continueddevelopmentofauditingsystemsfor new supply streams.

TheBeefQualityAssurance(BQA)program in the US is a key example of how training can help producers enhance public perception of industry while securing added value from the sale of cattle. To become BQA certified, producers can attend an in-person trainingsessionortake an online course. The same options are available through the VBP+ program, allowing producers to becomefamiliarwith the best practices included in the VBP+ standard without committing to an audit.

While auditing may be necessary to market cattle or beef to certain processors or retailers with sustainability standards, BQA’ s success in enhancing industry practices and consumer trust demonstrates that training can be a valuable tool in Canada. In the future, VBP+ will seek to enhance and diversify training to help producers enhance aspects of their operation that they need most. For example, many of the VBP+ required practices improve productionefficiencybyensuringeffectiveness of animal health interventions through

monitoring treatment records. Training will continue to change to help producers improve the management elements that matter most to them.

Furthermore, training provides a useful metric for the industry to communicate to consumers. BQA has had success because producers can demonstrate knowledge and attention to responsible management through training, enhancing public trust in American beef. Increasing training rates in programs like VBP+ in Canada can offer the same benefits. VBP+trainingwillcontinuetoevolvewiththe industryandconsumerstobesthelpproducers access a strong customer base.

In cases where processors, retailers, or even consumers expect verification that required practiceshavebeenimplemented,certification becomes important. VBP+ certification provides a catch-all for many of the standards that today ’ s sustainable supply chains are looking for. However, a competitive market economy lends itself to product variability, which will inevitably lead to new product trends and types as we have seen over the past several years.

While VBP+ has its own certification, the program can also aid other groups by offering third-party verification services. Currently in Canada, a clear process to set a standard for a particular type of beef product and develop an auditing system to verify that standard is lacking.Asproductvarietygrowsinthefuture, VBP+ can help by evaluating a proposed set of requirements and auditing producers accordingly.

For producers, auditing of new product standards will facilitate more diversity in marketing opportunities. While not all producers will be able or want to produce under these standards, expanding variety will continue to meet consumer demands to avoid losing beef eaters to increasingly popular alternatives. In the end, this will keep the Canadianbeefindustryalivebyensuringasolid base of end users.

Over the years, VBP+ has evolved to better help Canadian beef producers access sale opportunities by meeting changing consumer expectations. The program will continue to evolve and expand to enhance public image and secure marketing options for producers, both through training and auditing. Ultimately, VBP+ seeks to play a key role in ensuring the prosperity of the Canadian beef industry for years to come.