T H E B E EF, PO RK & PO U TRY IND USTRY D IGITA L M AGA ZINE
April 2021
Q+A WITH CHAR TECHNOLOGY’S ANDREW WHITE 16th Annual “Power of Meat” Report TrustBIX Collaborates with InnoBlock 1st Annual Yellow River Economic Belt Meat & Aquatics Expo FCC Sees Opportunities for Indigenous Agriculture Research to Bolster Beef Production with Better Biology
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Government to Improve Worker Safety and Increase Capacity of Ontario Meat Processing Q+A with CHAR Technology’s Andrew White
16th Annual “Power of Meat” Report
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TrustBIX Collaborates with InnoBlock to Create Supply Chain Traceability Solutions 1st Annual Yellow River Economic Belt Meat & Aquatics Expo
New Initiative Aims to Conserve Canadian Prairies through Collaboration with Ranchers FCC Sees Opportunities for Indigenous Agriculture
Research to Bolster Beef Production with Better Biology
HR for Agriculture - Hiring Employees - Getting it Right the First Time
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April 2021 Volume 21 Number 5
PUBLISHER Ray Blumenfeld ray@meatbusiness.ca MANAGING EDITOR Scott Taylor publishing@meatbusiness.ca DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Cam Patterson cam@meatbusiness.ca CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Virginia Labbie, Jack Roberts CREATIVE DIRECTOR Patrick Cairns
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GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE WORKER SAFETY AND INCREASE CAPACITY OF ONTARIO MEAT PROCESSING The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions to Canada’s food system, while demonstrating the need for more diversified food processing capacity. As a result, Canadian livestock producers and meat processors have taken on unexpected and exceptional activities to manage health and safety during the pandemic. The Government of Canada is helping meat processors invest in safety measures to protect their workers and in facility improvements that strengthen Canada’s food supply. In early April, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Parliamentary Secretary Neil Ellis and Member of Parliament for Kitchener– Conestoga, Tim Louis, highlighted support of up to $12.2 million through the Emergency Processing Fund for 42 meat processing companies in Ontario. "Ontario’s meat processing sector is a major contributor to our local economy. The hardworking people in this industry have shown incredible resilience throughout this crisis. These projects through the Emergency Processing Fund are helping meat processors in Kitchener–Conestoga and throughout our region improve both worker safety and production capacity to keep our food supply running strong,” said Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener–Conestoga. With this funding, recipients are adopting measures to help keep employees safe and increase their capacity. This includes making adjustments to enable social distancing, purchasing reuseable personal protective equipment (PPE), implementing biosecurity measures, installing protective barriers and developing employee training. Funds are also supporting facility upgrades and new equipment to help boost production capacity. Neil Ellis, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stated, "The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many challenges for the food processing industry, in particular for meat processing plants of all sizes. Through these investments, we are helping meat processors here in Ontario keep their workers safe so they can continue delivering quality meat products to our grocery shelves. We are also supporting projects that increase processing capacity so we can strengthen Canada’s food supply and grow this important industry." Parliamentary Secretary Ellis and MP Louis highlighted this support at a virtual event with Leavoy Rowe Beef Co., a specialty cutter and distributor of high-end meat products in Mississauga, which is receiving up to $1,303,904. "For the past 15 years in business I have predominantly relied on restaurants to keep me afloat but this virus has decimated that industry,” stated Rod Rowe, Owner, Leavoy Rowe Beef Co. “This funding helps tremendously as I’ve had to reinvent my business and in order to remain innovative, I require new equipment to supply other retail stores. This assistance also ensures that my staff remain employed with the possibility of bringing more people aboard." The Government will continue working with food processors to protect the health and well-being of workers in food processing plants across Canada and strengthen our food supply chain. April 2021 MEATBUSINESSPRO 5 4
Q+A WITH CHAR TECHNOLOGY’S ANDREW WHITE CHAR is a cleantech development and services company that has gained attention in renewable natural gas and agriculture circles with its application of High Temperature Pyrolysis (HTP) to convert lowvalue solid waste into renewable and value-added biocarbon products. CHAR acquired Altech, which had a background in air and water treatment solutions, and CharTech Solutions has combined the experience and expertise from Altech to apply HTP technology for waste streams generated from livestock and agricultural industries. With the emphasis on accelerating agricultural sustainable development and Ottawa’s push to cut greenhouse gas emissions, CHAR just may have the solution the farming industry is looking for to reduce their environmental footprint while at the same time, capturing new economic opportunities in the fight against climate change. Meat Business Pro (MBP) spoke with CHAR’s cofounder and CEO, Andrew White (AW), about this exciting science and their mission to employ innovative technology solutions to convert waste streams into renewable and valuable “green” energy. MBP: Please explain how your pyrolysis program ties into the meat industry and agriculture? AW: I'll take a quick step back and talk about how our high temperature pyrolysis technology works, it is our core and proprietary solution for clients. High temperature pyrolysis is basically heating material up in the complete absence of oxygen, so nothing burns. It gets thermo-chemically converted into two product streams. One product stream is an energy rich gas. We call it pyrolysis gas and it is a gas with methane and hydrogen in it. And the other product is a biochar or biocarbon. 6
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One project that we have under development is working with a large animal protein manufacturer. They have two waste streams that they are challenged with. One is a sludge from their on-site wastewater treatment plant, and the other is a fiber, manure that’s primarily straw that is shoveled out of the trucks once the animals are delivered to the facility. The site is spending a substantial amount on waste disposal costs to get this material to landfills or to a compost. What our technology then does with high temperature pyrolysis is we heat these sludge and fiber materials up in the absence of oxygen. Because there's no oxygen, and we're heating up to 850C without burning, the waste gets converted into two product streams, one is biochar and the other is pyrolysis gas. MBP: What exactly is biochar and pyrolysis gas? AW: Essentially, the nutrients that are in the waste streams, potassium and phosphorus, get concentrated in this biochar which is high in fixed carbon. It has a nutrient value as well as carbon sequestration benefits that can be recognized in the form of carbon credits. The pyrolysis gas has high energy value, where we use a small quantity to run our own system to get those high temperatures, because we're not using natural gas or any external fuel sources, but generating our own gas to burn for the heat. In this way we can offset natural gas expense while using our gas as a source of green hydrogen or as a renewable natural gas. At a high level, that's what we're all about within the meat industry. MBP: When you started working with this kind of technology, did you see this as being a sustainable solution for the Agriculture industry in general? AW: Initially, when I started the company out of university in 2011, I was looking at anaerobic digesters meatbusinesspro.com
and if we could use high temperature pyrolysis to convert fiber organic waste left over into products like biochar or methane so it always had a bit of an agricultural bent. At the time, many Ontario based anaerobic digesters were primarily being used at dairy facilities, running 50% on dairy manure and the rest on off-farm wastes. Obviously, the biogas industry has grown to encompass all sorts of sites, but from an agriculture perspective, we’re taking this byproduct fiber and processing it through pyrolysis to create our energy products, but also in a way to recycle the nutrients. This is more efficient because we're concentrating the residuals in our carbon, so it's much higher in potassium and phosphorus, which can then be used as an ingredient in a more comprehensive fertilizer plant. MBP: At its core, the farm level is really what you're aiming at. How much waste are we talking about with your process? AW: To give you a sense of scale, our smallest unit can process about 500 kilos per hour of material. We have an operation in London, Ontario, that processes about 750 kilos per hour, and our biggest system would be 3.5 tonnes per hour.
MBP: If I was a farmer, how would I get this technology onto my farm? What would be the process and cost to me? AW: Basically, we would need to better understand what the waste stream is we're dealing with. In agriculture, although we never want to see waste, its challenging to determine value for the feedstocks that we process. So that's number one. Number two, what are the opportunities for the energy that we will create? Is it a large facility that needs gas for heating or running boilers for pasteurizing? What’s the onsite energy use? Can our gas be used to supplement that? The third piece is location. If it’s a large enough facility, could we actually look at making renewable natural gas and or green hydrogen, and finding a market opportunity for that product. And on top of that, determining the kind of equipment for the farmer or the facility, and obviously supporting them through the installation and process. MBP: Are market and revenue opportunities searching part of your product offering? AW: We have a subsidiary called Char Biocarbon, that can take the biochar (the fertilizer material), and
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contract that under a revenue sharing agreement. If the client is looking at a larger facility, perhaps with pipeline infrastructure for instance, with a good opportunity to make renewable natural gas or green hydrogen, we would consider a more overall partnership model where we could even bring some of the capital to the table to build the facility and share in overall project revenues. MBP: Could this actually become a passive revenue stream for the average livestock farmer? AW: Yes, once it's installed there are opportunities with high temperature pyrolysis that make a lot of sense to livestock farmers. MBP: Is there a government funding initiative tie-in as well? AW: Yes, our product definitely ticks some of the boxes governments like to fund. It is a clean technology, it generatesgreen energy, it provides carbon reduction, and the biochar that's created does have some carbon credit value. MBP: When you started CHAR, were agriculture initiatives for carbon sustainability part of the funding model? AW: When the company was first launched, we were funded by the Ontario Centre’s of Excellence and Sustainable Development Technology Canada because our aim was helping support the biogas and anaerobic digestion industry by creating additional energy out of the leftover fibers from those operations. Of course, our scope and capabilities has grown since then. MBP: What other areas of the agriculture industry are you focusing on besides livestock? AW: Crop residuals are also very interesting to us because they have a lot of fiber and, and at a high level, we like good fibrous material that has volatiles with it. Mixing straw with the sludge gives you lots of energy value, and our reactor especially likes that kind of fibrous material. When we talk about purpose grown crops, we are able to convert those products into renewable gases as well. In general, the non-agricultural industry tends to overlook that this material has an economic value for the farmer. There's a tremendous opportunity to convert that material into biochar that can go back into the fields but also has a carbon sequestration, carbon credit piece to it, while also producing valuable green energy. 8 8
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MBP: There's a significant climate awareness component playing into this as well. What do you see being the long-range benefit 10 years from now for farmers? AW: I think the opportunity is only going to grow because I don't have any doubt that there is going to be some sort of an economic price on CO2 emissions whether it would be a tax cap or whatever. But if we're offsetting things like natural gas where we're insulating the energy costs on site from those taxes, then that has high monetary value for the farmer. The other piece on the gas side is if we're producing a gas to sell to the market, whether it's a renewable natural gas or green hydrogen, I see the value of those gases increasing over time as there's a desire to push away from fossil fuels. And then the final piece is the biochar. There is economic value just from carbon credits now for biochar, and again, that's something that's going to continue to grow. I think just the carbon credit piece alone will be enough to drive the economics of the project and see increased returns over time. MBP: Is there anyone else in Canada using this type of technology? AW: There are other options out there including one that people may be familiar with called gasification. But we're one of the very small handful that are deployinghigh temperature pyrolysis technology. I think our offering is uniquely suited for the agriculture space. MBP: Are your services available just in Canada or are you looking into foreign markets as well? AW: We are North American wide. The U.S. is an interesting market now because the new administration is moving quickly on some of the environmental pieces that make a project like this more economically attractive, both from a product output piece and from a capital coverage via grants and other financial offerings perspective. For more information, visit https://chartechnologies.com/
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16TH ANNUAL “POWER OF MEAT” The Power of Meat 2021 study was conducted on behalf of The Food Industry Association (FMI) and the Meat Institute’s Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education and released during the recent American Meat Conference.
The number of meat shoppers who purchased groceries online grew 40% in 2020, and the majority of online purchasers (59%) expect to continue purchasing about the same amount online in 2021, suggesting food shopping habits may have changed permanently.
The national report shows that three out of every four Americans agree meat belongs in healthy, balanced diets (up by nearly 20% since 2020), and 94% say they buy meat because it provides high-quality protein.
Americans are also embracing new cooking methods (ownership of air fryers increased 24%) and turning to digital sources for recipe inspiration (YouTube use is up 50%) and promotions (consulting digital circulars for promotions increased 33%).
Americans are buying more beef, pork, poultry, and lamb than ever as increased time at home during the pandemic sent meat grocery sales soaring by 20% (IRI) from 2019 to 2020. Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts commented, “Americans feel better than ever about choosing meat as part of healthy, balanced diets. With COVID-19 deepening demand for convenient, affordable food that tastes good and matches Americans’ values, meat fits the bill.”
“Shoppers are cooking more at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and their confidence in cooking and preparing meat has increased,” said Rick Stein, vice president of fresh foods for FMI—The Food Industry Association. “Further analysis also shows convenient meal solutions are key and that food retailers have opportunities to provide more choices and, along with more information and education on consumer priorities like nutrition and meal preparation – building up what we call consumers’ Meat IQ.”
Nearly all American households (98.4%) purchased meat in 2020 (IRI), and 43% of Americans now buy more meat than before the pandemic - primarily because they are preparing more meals at home. The proportion of meals prepared at home peaked at 89% in April 2020 and remained at 84% in December (IRI), considerably above pre-pandemic levels and particularly impacting Millennials who were previously most likely to eat out.
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TOP FINDINGS OF THE POWER OF MEAT 2021
NSF INTERNATIONAL FOCUSES ON 1. The pandemic showed us just how popular meatINDUSTRY WITH NEW CANADIAN FOOD and poultry still are. With consumers cooking at home during the pandemic, meat department dollars WEBSITE FOR SERVICES IN CANADA increased 19.2% and volume 11.0%. This was due to REPORT MADE POSSIBLE BY SEALED AIR FOOD CARE DIVISION/CRYOVAC®
more meat trips andhealth greaterorganization spending per trip, while Global public showcases services for Canada’s growing and fast-changing household penetration remained high, at 98.4% (IRI). food industry NSF International in Canada recently launched a new 2. The pandemic brought more home-cooked website - www.nsfcanada.ca - to give Canada’s growing meals with meat, with the shopper’s eye turning to and complex food and beverage industry easy access convenience and variety. Anorganization’s important silver liningand of to the global public health expertise the services pandemic is greater meat preparation in Canada. The website combinesknowledge, information on is thelikely depth, capabilities of the NSF which toexperience benefit theand retail meat industry International Canadian office with access to NSF for years, if not generations, to come. But the initial International’s global services dedicated to food safety cooking enthusiasm is making way for a quest for and quality. variety and convenience. Value-added meat/poultry regulations across household countries and increasing salesEvolving grew based on greater engagement complexities associated with a globalized food supply and increased frequency of use.
network present challenges for NSF International clients in Canada and around the world. The new Canadian website 3. More three-quarters changed offersthan expertise and servicesoftoshoppers help companies navigate something about their meat purchases the these challenges, including certification during and auditing, pandemic. Driven by lunch and training dinner, and 43%education, of shoppers consulting, technical services, foodmore and label compliance, packaging, productbyand bought meat and poultry, greatly and impacted development. the process work-from-home trend. Additionally, four in 10
accredited International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) site. Topics include HACCP, food safety and quality, GFSI benchmarked standards, regulations (including FSMA), food science, food packaging, food microbiology and ISO standards. Training modalities include eLearning, on-site, customized and open enrolment. Additionally, the website includes information about management system registrations for the food, automotive, environmental, information security, medical devices, aerospace and chemical industries, as well as for Ontario drinking water programs. Visit the new Canadian website at www.nsfcanada.ca to review the food safety services capabilities video, find a list of Canadian food experts, learn about upcoming events and global news releases, a question YesGroup_CanadianMeatBusiness-Qtr-pg.pdf 1 submit 2014-05-16 1:20:17 PMor read an FAQ. Continued on page 12
NSF International’s Canadian website different provides information shoppers bought differently, whether types on the services: (42%), cutsfollowing (40%) or brands (45%). Certification & auditing: Third-party food safety audits and certifications, whichincreased are integral components 4. Online meat shopping during the of supplier selection and regulatory compliance. Accurate pandemic. While supermarkets easily remained the audits are the first step toward successful verification biggest outlet for meat, 56% of shoppers purchased of a company’s food safety system, providing improved groceries online in 2020. Up from 19%, 31% of shoppers brand protection and customer confidence. Certifications ordered meat online in 2020, and those that ordered and audits are available for animal and produce in the meat did so more often. agriculture industry, GFSI certification and management system registration.
5. Consumers for meatteam sales/deals more often, Consulting:look A full-service approach providing but technical fewer sales were made on promotion during therange resources, expertise and insight for a wide of food safety quality looked services. International pandemic. More and shoppers forNSF promotions across provides finished product inspection testing for food, stores (68%) or at their primary store (78%) as they packaging and in non-food for rapid analysis shifted to buying bigger testing quantities to freeze andand use insight to protect the brand, technical support services over time. The digital circular gained big, but in-store from on-site temporary or permanent technical staffing signage remained mosttypes popular way to research placements, andthe various of consulting. meat specials. Technical services: A one-stop solution for food product compliance and formulation, from concept to finished 6. Consumers’ perception of case-ready reaches a product, including food and label compliance, packaging, study high 81% favorability. Shoppers have a positive product and process development, and shelf-life and impression of case-ready with 26% believing it is better product evaluation.
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thanTraining meat that cut/packaged in-store 55% andiseducation: Training for theand global food believe it is equally good.across the supply chain as an and beverage industry meatbusiness.ca meatbusinesspro.com meatbusinesspro.com
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10. Plant-based meat alternatives grew 83.9% but remain just 0.6% of combined meat/alternative dollar sales. At $475 million, refrigerated plant-based meat alternatives experienced robust growth. Just shy of 10% of households bought alternatives in 2020, but 40% did so only once. (IRI) Vegetable/meat blends, such as mushroom burgers, have greater appeal, and can be a bridge between continued meat consumption and providing benefits people look for in plant-forward eating. 7. Better-for-you gains appeal as shoppers focus on health and nutrition. Food has become more than just fuel and shoppers look for meat/poultry items they believe are better-for-me/their family. Many (71%) are putting effort into choosing nutritious and healthful meat and poultry choices. High interest in these areas expresses itself in vastly different protein choices, including purchasing claims-based meat, blends, alternatives and eating a little less of it.
8. Environmental sustainability is a rising platform driving dollars across categories, including meat/ poultry. Many (49%) consider sustainability factors when making meat purchases including better for the planet (34%), the worker/rancher (29%) and the animal (27%). Sixty percent of shoppers try to do their part for the environment and 43% believe that ranchers take steps to protect the planet. The 37% share of consumers who are unsure about environmental measures taken signal an important education opportunity for the meat retailing industry. 9. Animal welfare remained important during the pandemic and is a multi-faceted concept in the eyes of the consumer. Fifty-five percent of shoppers say having information about how and where the animal was raised and processed is important. Consumers’ definition of animal welfare involves many aspects of animal living, feeding and care conditions, including how animals are handled during slaughter (60%), access to outdoors (60%) and the amount of living space (58%). More people believe the meat they buy came from humanely-treated animals (44%) but 40% are simply unsure. • For more information about the report, contact AnneMarie Roerink at aroerink@210analytics.com • For questions about NAMI, contact Ann Wells at awells@meatinstitute.org • For questions about FMI, contact Rick Stein at rstein@ fmi.org
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TRUSTBIX COLLABORATES WITH INNOBLOCK TO CREATE SUPPLY CHAIN TRACEABILITY SOLUTIONS TrustBIX Inc. has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hong Kong-based InnoBlock Technology Limited where both parties will work on integrating their respective technology platforms to support supply chain traceability opportunities in a variety of markets in Asia. InnoBlock has developed a track-and-trace blockchain platform called TT Chain based on the Hyperledger fabric. This platform will interact with the Company's BIX Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and provide customers with immutable records of attributes associated with products shipped through the supply chain, customized disclosure management through permissions and configurations, and support for labelling of retail products through creation of QR codes which, when accessed by the customer, reference key attributes about the products sold. Initial work by TrustBIX and InnoBlock will support the creation of a premium beef supply chain from Canada to Asia, building on the Company's previous press release announcements from November 2020.
The MoU has an initial twelve-month term but is renewable.
About InnoBlock Technology Limited InnoBlock, a member company of Incu-Tech Programme under Hong Kong Science and Technology Park and I&T supplier of the Smart Government Innovation Lab under Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), is a company with the vision to implement blockchain technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase efficiency and transparency in various industries. For more information, visit www. innoblocktech.com About TrustBIX As an innovative leader, TrustBIX provides agri-food traceability. By addressing consumer and agri-food business demands, the Company has a goal to become the most trusted and largest source of third-party food traceability and sustainability information globally - Gate to Plate®. For more information, visit www. trustbix.com
"We are thrilled to be working with a partner that brings both great technology expertise and connections in Asia," said Hubert Lau, TrustBIX CEO. "This collaboration will reduce time-to-market and deliver enhanced capabilities in our solution." "InnoBlock is delighted to partner with TrustBIX to make TT Chain a global end-to-end traceability platform. We are very excited to bring blockchain technology to the supply chain industry to increase transparency and build consumer and participant trust," says Kevin Ng, CEO of InnoBlock. 14 MEATBUSINESSPRO April April 2021 2021 14 MEATBUSINESSPRO
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1ST ANNUAL YELLOW RIVER ECONOMIC BELT MEAT & AQUATICS EXPO IN CHINA The Canada-China Meat Exporter Council and Shineway International (Canada) Inc. has announced the 1st Annual Yellow River Economic Belt Meat & Aquatic Products Expo which will take place from May 8-10, 2021.
on innovations in marketing, service, and technology. The ultimate aim is to provide an opportunity to gather professionals where information, technology, capital, and talents all convene together.
The event will be held at the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center and is organized by the Henan Province Meat Association, Shandong Province Meat Association, Shanxi Province Meat Association, Sichuan Province Meat Association and Inner Mongolia Meat Association. It is expected that the total space of this first Expo will exceed 10,500 square meters, with more than 350 exhibitors and over 30,000 professional plus 20,000 public visitors from 20 different provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country. This unique event has been organized to show new products, new technologies, and new equipment to help create a better future and further develop the Yellow River Basin. The purpose of the event is to grow into the next stage of the digital economy and to promote the new development of the industry and provide meat processing, service, transportation, warehousing companies and supporting service organizations with a new "online + offline" model for exhibitors. The hope is to build an efficient and convenient one-stop business docking platform for the entire industry and provide a full range of solutions to the exhibitors based 16 MEATBUSINESSPRO MEATBUSINESSPRO April April 2021 2021 16
SCOPE OF EXHIBITS WILL SHOWCASE: • Meat - Pork, beef, lamb, chicken, duck and poultry eggs, organic meat • Meat products - All kinds of meat products, dried cured products, leisure meat products, canned food, prepared meat products, etc. • Display pavilion for named brands - Ecological products, large brand-named enterprises, leading enterprises, industrialized enterprises, innovationoriented technological enterprises, industrialized demonstration parks for agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism, eco-transformation, etc. meatbusinesspro.com
• Comprehensive service pavilion DF:and I don’t think being on the island Promotion release of imported really impacted us negatively products,has time-honored brands, new one way or the other. We’ve traveled a lot, products, new technologies, new inventions met a lot of other farmers and livestock and achievements, patented products, producers in other parts of Canada, and financial and insurance services, investment we all seem to have the same issues promotion, sales platforms, andInternet same concerns. scientific CMB: and technology consulting, etc. I understand that your farm was the first in Atlantic Canada to be
• Food materials potprogram. catering service involved infor thehot TESA – Specials related to hot pot food materials, DF: Yes, I think we were the first farm ingredients, frozen eastseasonings, of Ontario as prepared far as I understand. foods, drinks and beverages, equipment, I’m not sure why the eastern franchising, etc. associations wouldn’t have previously nominated anybody because there are many- farms on PEI doing • Equipment Meathere equipment for every bit as much as we are as to attain a slaughtering, processing, packaging, high level of sustainability. Anyway, breeding and farming
we were very surprised when the PEI Cattleman’s Association nominated our • Cold chain storage and logistics farm.
Equipment and materials for refrigeration, CMB: And then you were attending the cold chain storage, logistics and packaging, Canadian Beef conference in Calgary covering and fromyou initial planning/designing, won. equipment manufacturing to final stage of DF: Yeah! That was a very nice moment installation and testing, etc.
for us. But I don’t like to use the word win actually. However, being recognized for our commitment was a real honour. If you want to know the truth, it was a pretty humbling experience. As I said to CBC when they phoned me after the conference, I was just floored, really couldn’t believe it. CMB: So now that you have been recognized, do you think that will draw more attention and garner more nominations out of Atlantic Canada going forward? DF: Absolutely. We’ve gotten a lot
For more information, contact Eric Zhang at of good press highlighting the island 1-416-938-6869
cattle industry. I’m positive you’ll see more farms in our neck of the woods About Canada-China Meat Export Council nominated next year. And I have to give The Canada-China Meat Export Council the Canadian Cattleman’s Association (CCMEC), headquartered in Toronto, is the recognition for choosing a farm from main overseas co-organizer of this Expo. The Prince Edward Island. We are small CCMEC is a non-profit international meat players in the national beef industry organization and aims to promote the and I think it was a real credit to export their of Canadian meat products to China in a organization to recognize us. They pragmatic and innovative manner. CCMEC treated all the nominees royally and it also provides corresponding consultation and was a real class act. It was a wonderful aid fromexperience. upstream to downstream, covering
such as raising animals, slaughter production, processing, packaging, formulating industry standards and regulations, cold chain logistics, storage and other supporting formalities. meatbusiness.ca meatbusinesspro.com meatbusinesspro.com
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NEW INITIATIVE AIMS TO CONSERVE CANADIAN PRAIRIES THE THROUGH WITH RANCHERS REAL DIRTCOLLABORATION ON FARMING IN THE CLASSROOM Ducks Unlimited Canada, McDonald’s Canada and Cargill support expansion of Canadian grazing land and forages to help combat impacts of climate change and protect wildlife. Beef farmers and ranchers play an important role in providing quality food, but few people know they also play an essential role in protecting Canada’s land, water and wildlife. With the urgency of unprecedented environmental challenges, like climate change, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has teamed up with McDonald’s Canada and Cargill to support rancher-led work through a $5-million CAD Forage Program. The program will work to return 125,000 acres (50,585 hectares) of cropland to grass and pasture by 2025. In response to growing climate concerns, returning less productive annual cropland to perennial grass helps remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Collectively, the impact of this program is comparable to removing 75,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere— the same as the emissions from driving 299 million kilometres in an average passenger vehicle. Perennial grass cover also provides habitat for prairie wildlife.
"In North America’s prairie ecosystems, cattle help ensure the sustainability of grasslands,” said Karla Guyn, chief executive officer for DUC. “Cattle fertilize the soil and help maintain plant biodiversity through grazing, controlling invasive grasses and allowing other species to thrive.
“For decades, we’ve worked with Canadian cattle farmers and ranchers to conserve natural habitat on their land,” said Guyn. “This initiative builds on their long-standing environmental stewardship while providing opportunities to help support their operations. We’re grateful to have strong partners in Cargill and McDonald’s that recognize the importance of natural habitats as part of sustainable agriculture.” Grasslands are some of the world’s most productive and diverse ecosystems, but these habitats and the species they support continue to be lost at alarming rates. Canada’s prairies contain wetlands, lakes, rivers and valleys that provide habitat to more than 60 wildlife species at risk. This project will help expand habitat and provide enhanced water quality, as grasslands naturally filter harmful nutrients from water.
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THE BEST DEFE A STRONG OFFE
This collaboration also supports Cargill’s BeefUp Sustainability initiative, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the company’s North American beef supply chain by 30 per cent by 2030. Cargill has launched several initiatives andBENEFITS three PROMOTING THE HEALTH other programs to support this goal. By Ronnie P. Cons
The support from McDonald’s and Cargill allows DUC to provide farmers and ranchers incentives via discounted seed and technical support to help establish the forage on their land. In return, program participants agree to maintain the forage for 10 years. “The result is a healthy, productive landscape where ranchers can graze their herd or harvest hay and a diversity of wildlife thrive,” said Guyn. McDonald’s and Cargill are market leaders in Canadian beef. Both have made sustainability a cornerstone of how they do business, recognizing the role they play in advancing responsible food production. These companies are investing $1.25 million CAD in the Forage Program over the next five years, with DUC adding $3.75 million CAD through matching programs. “This initiative is an example of how McDonald’s is driving toward our global climate change commitment by supporting beef farmers and ranchers in their efforts to implement practices that reduce greenhouse emissions,” says Nicole Zeni, senior manager, supply chain management, McDonald’s Canada. “Here in Canada, we’ll continue to collaborate with our partners, working together to create change and positive outcomes for farmers, ranchers, communities and the planet.”
“At Cargill, in awrongly unique position to drive Red meatwe is are often portrayed as being unhealthy. sustainable beef production across North America. some in the media as unhealthy or not environmentally fr Through this project, we are partnering with Canadian ranchers toand show how cattle are a force for good in as liver, 6 Vegan, fish other non-meat diets have been proposed conserving this critical ofonslaught soil, grassland and spinac healthier alternatives. Theecosystem result of this of negative meat messages hassays influenced many families to cut back on wildlife habitats,” Heather Tansey, sustainability Iron fo their for meat and poultry purchases. Perceptions may reality but found lead Cargill’s global protein and animal nutrition truth trumps misinformation. Parents and other consumers absorp and health businesses. “By working hand in hand, we want what is best for their health and that of their families. can scale realistic solutions that address sustainability 2. Eat They are also aware that a lot of false information is out there challenges and feed the world.” and as such, are open to scientific facts that can correct their Being misconceptions. This provides an opportunity for retail meat departments to implement an instore ‘Healthy Meat Facts’ nutritional campaign to set the record straight and convince their customers that meat and poultry are actually good for one’s health and that they should increase rather than decrease their purchases of it. The campaign outlined below can have a direct impact on sales: Start by displaying instore posters promoting the nutritional value of meat. They should be innovative, eye catching and be designed to specifically contradict any meat myths. The comments should all be literature based quoting research papers or MDs for maximum effect. Various posters should be made - each with a brief but powerful message covering one theme. Posters can convey the following healthy meat fact messages: 1. Let’s IRON out the Truth on Meat! “You would need to eat a massive amount of spinach to equal (the iron content) in a steak,” says Christopher Golden, an ecologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (As quoted by nature.com in the article ‘Brain food- clever eating’.) For a woman to receive her recommended daily intake of 18 mg of iron, she would need just 300 grams of cooked bovine
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FCC SEES OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIGENOUS AGRICULTURE Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is building a foundation of knowledge to better understand and support Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs to grow and thrive in Canada’s agriculture and food industry. “Diversification of Canada’s agriculture and food industry is one of our top priorities and an integral part of FCC’s mandate,” said Michael Hoffort, FCC’s president and CEO. “It begins with developing a deeper understanding of Indigenous agriculture – the history, barriers, aspirations and opportunities of today.” FCC recently commissioned an online survey of Indigenous producers and stakeholders, which indicated more than 70 per cent of producers plan to increase participation in the sector over the next five years, despite reporting a poor to average experience in the sector. Some of the biggest challenges cited were access to capital, equipment, labour and knowledge. Most respondents believe growth is coming from multiple areas but tend to focus on crops and food processing.
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In order to sustain the growth needed to re-establish Indigenous food security, respondents placed a high priority on the need to create agricultural and financial learning opportunities for Indigenous youth. They also want to see a deliberate approach for ensuring the next generation is prepared and excited to continue growing agriculture and food businesses, while fostering relationships with elders who offer a wealth of traditional knowledge. “FCC is working to become a stronger partner in the advancement of Indigenous agriculture in the spirit of reconciliation and collaboration,” said Shaun Soonias, director of FCC Indigenous relations. “As Canada’s leading agriculture lender, we are uniquely positioned to contribute to the success of Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs in this diverse and dynamic industry.” To become a better partner, FCC is providing extensive Indigenous awareness and relations training to its more than 2,000 employees across Canada. The training is meant to help employees better understand the legislative and systemic barriers that prevent Indigenous communities from fully participating in Canada’s agriculture industry, as well as the historic, social and economic challenges facing First Nations, Métis and Inuit across Canada.
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“There is a rich history and traditions of Indigenous “FCC is committed to building long-term relationships agriculture prior to European settlement, and we are with key stakeholders in the Indigenous agriculture and now several generations removed from those practices food sector with the aim of being a trusted partner to and knowledge,” said Soonias, who is also a member support Indigenous peoples’ full participation in this of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation near Battleford, exciting, dynamic and diverse industry,” Hoffort said. Saskatchewan. “FCC not only has an opportunity to better understand the landscape of Indigenous agriculture in Canada but, more importantly, provide Indigenous entrepreneurs with learning opportunities about agriculture and farm management.” Most Indigenous producers and stakeholders surveyed suggested the key to overcoming the various challenges in Indigenous agriculture resides in training, education and mentorship opportunities, as well as access to capital to grow their businesses. There are also many Indigenous agri-food and agribusinesses that are well established, exporting their products internationally and expanding operations and others who are Proposed 30,000-square-foot beef abattoir in Cloverdale would be B.C.’s largest such facility integrating indoor farming with traditional plants and By Amy Reid, Peace Arch News medicines. so as to not emit odours. And while there is an operational A federally licensed beef processing facility is in the works 6,000-square-foot abattoir on the property now, it’s can in Surrey,understanding BC. “As we gain a greater of how to best only process a limited number of cattle. “There’s ainnew building coming a new in abattoir, I support their success agriculture, weforward, will work Chris Les is general manager of Meadow Valley Meats, think that’s the French pronunciation of slaughterhouse,” partnership with Indigenous communities, stakeholders ABOUT FARMMeadow CREDIT CANADA the company behind the project. Valley Meats is said Councillor Mike Starchuk. “So Surrey will have a seeking a Canadianleading Food Inspection Agency license for newerto facility with a better capacitythat so people have and entrepreneurs develop solutions workwillfor FCC is Canada’s agriculture and food lender, the proposed abattoir, to become a federally registered ability to not have to ship an animal to Alberta to have them, as well asthe address their community priorities,” with a healthy loan portfolio of more than $41 meat establishment and expand the operation. This would it processed. The applications have gone through the Soonias said. Agricultural and Food Sustainability Advisory Committee.” billion. Our dedicated the future of allow the meatemployees products to beare transported beyondto B.C.’s boundaries.agriculture and food. We provide flexible, Canadian The facility is proposed on a 25-acre property within the “Our focus is on trying to bring a more efficient, sustainable software, Agricultural Land Reserve 5175 184th St. The planned competitively Almost half of those surveyed see at significant priced financing, management local product to the market, realizing we can do that now 30,000-square foot abattoir in Cloverdale would process up opportunities intogreenhouse operation, community information and knowledge specifically designed for in a very limited sense,” said Les. “I caution people when 100 head of cattle per day. gardens, Indigenous foods and food processing, the agriculture industry. Asthat’s a self-sustaining talking to them andand they food say, ‘What a big plant, going According to a city report, that would make it larger than to go allow you to go mainstream.’ Well, yes, you look although there any is aother wide range facility of other small-scale Crown corporation, we provide an ifappropriate return processing in B.C.. But it would still be in the context of B.C., but this is still a very niche plant small bytaking industryplace standards, to the lands. largest meat to our shareholder, and reinvest our profits back into agriculture activities oncompared Indigenous and we’ll serve a niche industry for producers and for the processing plants in Alberta that process 3,000 heads of market. It’s certainly going to be a monstrosity of aFor plantmore the industry and not communities we serve. cattle per day. but it’ll be a big upgrade from the site currently.” information, visit fcc.ca. The proposed facility would be fully enclosed and designed
NEW SURREY SLAUGHTERHOUSE ‘WOULD OPEN DOOR’ TO NEW BEEF MARKETS
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RESEARCH TO BOLSTER BEEF PRODUCTION WITH BETTER BIOLOGY A multi-agency research team led by University of Saskatchewan (USask) veterinary reproductive biologist Dr. Gregg Adams (DVM, PhD) aims to make rapid strides in improving the productivity, efficiency, and sustainability of Canada’s $18-billion beef sector by integrating advances from the field of omics into livestock production.
“USask has an amazing facility and program centred around the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE), and expertise in all areas of livestock production, but one thing that has been missing is a genomic component,” said Adams. Genomics and other omics tools in biological science— such as phenomics, microbiomics, proteomics—involve the study of the appearance, structure and behaviour of animals, their microbiomes and cell proteins. Researchers have made tremendous progress in these areas over the past decade, and they can now use these advanced tools for extensive livestock production, he said. The beef cattle industry is tremendously important in the West, with Saskatchewan and
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Alberta probably accounting for 70% of Canada’s beef production, Adams said. Consequently, even incremental changes in performance translate into big gains in economic value and job growth. Adams’s Integrated omics for sustainable animal agriculture and environmental stewardship (IntegrOmes) project has been awarded $6.75 million over five years by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), with another $10.1 million expected from institutional partners, private industry and vendor in-kind support. By bringing together experts in microbiology, epidemiology, reproductive biology and forage nutrition, the project aims to integrate the advances in omics tools to address challenges in the beef industry such as disease management, fertility improvement and environmental impact mitigation— something already in place in the dairy, hog and poultry industries.
HR for Agriculture - Hiring Employees- Getting it Right the First Time By Virginia Labbie, Senior Policy Analyst, Agri-business Each and everyday the Canadian Federation of meatbusinesspro.com Independent Business (CFIB)
The first step is to gather reams of previously unavailable behavioural and other physical data on beef cattle by placing multispectral cameras in pastures and close confinement areas and linking the information with gene markers for desired traits, said Adams. “Once we identify these markers—the genomic characteristics that relate to performance, we can actually begin to collect the genetic material— the germplasm, embryos and semen from those individuals that have desirable characteristics,” he said. The goal of IntegrOmes is to make it easier for cattle producers to identify and breed animals with desired traits such as better meat quality, stronger disease immunity, healthy uterine and semen microbiomes, shorter gestation periods, and good maternal behaviour and heavier calf weights at weaning. To accommodate the collection, processing, sorting and cryopreserving of bulls’ semen and cows’ eggs, and creating and preserving embryos, IntegrOmes is establishing a biobank at the LFCE that fits hand-inglove with the genomic tools researchers will use. The biobank will serve the needs of the beef livestock industry as well as bison conservation efforts— the other facet of Adams’s research included in the CFI award.
“If we can put these tools in the hands of diagnosticians or farmers themselves, they can report the results immediately—within hours or a day rather than having to wait days or even weeks—then we can cut the head off an epidemic, or certainly focus on appropriate antibiotics,” said Adams. “This project has been two years in the making, and it’s created a lot of enthusiasm and momentum,” he said. “Once the infrastructure and equipment are in place and we become proficient in its use, the impact will be felt for a generation or more.”
As well, IntegrOmes researchers are using genomics to develop rapid diagnostic tools for diseases and antimicrobial resistance that have been troublesome for the beef industry.
USask researchers on the IntegrOmes project include: Cheryl Waldner, Janet Hill, Dinesh Dadarwal and Jaswant Singh, all from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and Matthew Links from the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. Other team members are Gabriela Mastromonaco (Toronto Zoo); Jocelyn Poissant (University of Calgary); Graham Plastow (University of Alberta); and Muhammad Anzar (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada). meatbusinesspro.com
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HR FOR AGRICULTURE - HIRING EMPLOYEESGETTING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME By Virginia Labbie, Senior Policy Analyst, Agri-business Each and everyday the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) fields hundreds of calls from its small business members through its Business Resources helpline. Last year, CFIB helped over 75,000 business owners with their questions and concerns. While many inquiries lately have focused on the devastating impacts of COVID-19, many CFIB members rely on this talented group of Business Counsellors as their human resources department. Unlike bigger businesses, who may have an entire team of human resource professionals on staff, small businesses do not usually have access to this kind of support. There are many great reasons to join CFIB including our advocacy work to defend small businesses at all levels of government and our exclusive savings programs, but one of the most valuable benefits of membership is access to one-on-one support through our 30 Business Counsellors coast to coast.
per cent of our CFIB farm members say they have had difficulties hiring new employees in the past five years. While this is not a surprising statistic for many in the sector, it really highlights one of the challenges both industry and government policy needs to focus on. So in today’s tight labour market, it is more important than ever to get it right the first time when hiring employees for your farm or agri-business. It is no longer practical to hire over a handshake. Having proper policies and documents in place protects you and your business. When hiring, your goal is to select the best candidate to fit into your business, and to establish right from the start a clear understanding of the new hire's working conditions. If you plan ahead and complete the key steps of a recruitment and hiring process, your time will be well invested. The first step is to really think about what skills and abilities are needed for your business. Before even posting or advertising the job, prepare a thorough description of the tasks, functions and responsibilities. It is important that this provides clarity for your potential employee so they understand exactly what the position entails and what will be expected of them.
Not surprisingly, we get many calls from our agribusiness members looking for assistance and advice when recruiting and hiring employees for their farm or small business. CFIB surveys our agriculture members on what issues are impacting their business and one of the challenges that comes up time and again in our surveys is the shortage of qualified labour. In fact, 71 24
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Now it is time to create a job ad. Remember- the job ad should not just be a copy of the job description. You need to highlight why an employee would want to work for your company. This is your opportunity to showcase your farm business. What makes you stand out from other farms or companies looking for staff? This is especially important to attract outside talent to rural areas.
If you are lucky enough to get multiple applicants for your position, start by sorting the applications or resumes, preparing interview questions, scheduling interviews and contacting references of the candidates you are most interested in hiring. In each step, you must always respect the human rights laws that clearly outline what is and is not acceptable. Once you have found a great candidate for your position, it is important to note that some jurisdictions require a written offer. In any case, putting the terms and conditions of employment into writing ensures both employer and employee are starting the employment relationship on the same page. Have the new employee sign it to confirm they understand and accept what your company is offering.
An important consideration for your employee is the wages and/or benefits you will be offering. The Government of Canada’s Job Bank provides current wages and salaries for various occupations across Canada. Take into consideration minimum wage requirements, benefits and retirements plans, and add at least 15% to the salary calculation to factor in EI, CPP and Workers’ Compensation premiums (if applicable to your business).
Executing a well thought out hiring plan will save you time and money in the long run and set you and your new employee up for success. Where can you learn more? CFIB’s Business Counsellors are available to answer your questions and provide “plug and play” templates for your business (e.g. letter of offer). Contact them at cfib@cfib.ca or by calling 1-888-234-2232. Not a member? JOIN CFIB today for more help and information.
One of the most challenging parts of this whole process is reaching your potential pool of candidates. How do you get the word out that you are hiring? Today's options include both traditional methods and innovative tools courtesy of newer technology. If appropriate, why not try a mixed approach? Here are a few considerations: • Referrals - Let your contacts know that you are hiring. Current employees, clients, other businesses and your personal contacts can be good sources of referrals. • Facebook, LinkedIn or other social media- an easy, quick and inexpensive way to spread the word. • Company website - Ensure your 'Employment Opportunities' section is easy to find. • Online job boards - Some sites like Job Bank let you post a job advertisement for free. Other websites my charge a fee to post your job ad. • Recruitment agency or student placement service • Industry or professional associations meatbusinesspro.com
About CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 95,000 members (6,000 agri-business members) across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca. Virginia Labbie is the Senior Policy Analyst, Agri-business for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). CFIB has 110,000 small and medium-sized member businesses (7,200 agribusiness members) across Canada. To find out more about how to support local business go to www. smallbusinesseveryday.ca or visit www.cfib.ca April MEATBUSINESSPRO 254
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