Canadian Cattle Association President’s Report

It’s been an eventful couple of months to say the least. There is a great deal of positive news to share with you! On the heels of a very successful public and government affairs campaign to secure an exemption from front-ofpackage (FOP) labelling on ground beef, we launched a new brand and name in early July. We are now known as the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA). Before getting into details of CCA’s rebranding, I’d like to provide an update on the CCA’s efforts on FOP labelling for ground beef and celebrate our successes as an industry on this file.

For the better part of May and June, it was all hands on deck for the CCA board members and staff when it came to engaging Members of Parliament (MPs), Senators, officials at Health Canada, and consumers on the proposed regulatory change that would have seen a warning label for saturated fat placed on ground beef.

With Canadians consuming approximately half of their calories from low-nutrient, ultra-processed foods, such a regulatory change would have sent the wrong message to consumers about the nutritional benefits of whole, single-ingredient foods like ground beef. Ground beef is a nutrient-dense protein that contributes iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, and continues to be an important staple in the diets of many Canadians and their families. Making up 50 per cent of all beef sold in Canada, ground beef is a popular choice as it is affordable, nutritious, delicious, and easy to prepare.

We are very appreciative of the strong support that we received from Canadians – from both urban and rural communities – in our efforts to have ground beef exempted from needing a warning label. We established an important connection with Canadians over the nutritional value of beef with thousands of letters being sent to MPs from across the country! We couldn’t have done it without the help of our provincial member associations, who shared our collective concerns with provincial government officials as well as with local and regional media outlets. This initiative was truly a #teambeef effort and a win for the entire industry!

The Don’t Label My Beef campaign showed us how quickly Canadians could mobilize in support of cattle farmers and ranchers, and the important role that public opinion plays in Government policy decisions.

With confidence that Canadians have demonstrated in Canadian beef over this issue, we are very much looking forward to continuing the conversation with consumers on other important issues, such as the connection between cattle production and climate solutions. This is where our new brand comes in.

We are very proud to launch our new brand as the Canadian Cattle Association, as it pays tribute to our past, while looking ahead to the future. In my first column, I shared that one of top priorities as CCA President is to leave a vibrant industry for our next generation. It’s no secret that cattle production is always evolving. As we move forward as an industry, so does our brand.

We are fortunate to have a strong and diverse group of people invested in this industry, from coast to coast. Our new brand identity was created to encompass everyone in Canada who plays a key role in raising the world’s best beef. This sentiment holds true when it comes to my own ranch. As a fifth-generation ranching operation, our success is rooted in the contributions of all family members, and in the hard work and dedication of Canadians from pasture to plate.

Our new brand will open new opportunities to continue to tell our industry’s positive story when it comes to our environment, our culture, our food security, our economy, and our future as a country.

Our new logo is inspired by the key elements of importance to our organization: our country, our cattle, and our environment.

Reg Schellenberg

Despite the change of our organization’s name - our commitment is steadfast – we will continue to be the national voice of Canada’s beef producers and represent your interests in Ottawa and on the international stage.

I’m proud of our heritage and our ongoing efforts to conserve our ecosystems, while producing consumers flavourful and nutritious beef.

Our goal is simple—to sustainably produce the world class beef that Canadians love.

We are cattle country.

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