A new report reaffirms what many producers already know. According to the Cattlemen’s Stewardship Review, America’s cattlemen and women are committed to raising beef responsibly.
The Beef Checkoff-funded report highlights improvements in animal welfare, beef quality, sustainability, and community involvement that lead to healthier animals, better beef, smarter resource use and stronger communities.
While this may not be breaking news to producers, the results could help build consumer confidence in beef.
“We want consumers to know we aren’t just farmers and ranchers, but also animal caretakers, nutritionists, small business owners, environmentalists, and members of our communities,” said Joan Ruskamp, part owner of J & S Feedlot in Nebraska and Cattlemen’s Beef Board chairman.
“When consumers understand the level of care that goes into the production of their beef, they feel better about enjoying it.
“This report helps show that our attention to the needs of our animals, land and relationships parallel the concern our customers have for the beef they eat.’”
The national study included survey data from 679 telephone interviews with producers conducted by Aspen Media. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program, coordinated the study to provide a comprehensive profile of the beef community today, and to better understand the impact of beef production to the U.S. economy and the research-based tools and resources used to raise beef.
Key findings include:
- Animal care drives producers—95 percent of respondents identified cattle wellbeing as their top priority. The latest Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program participation data support this commitment. According to BQA managers, the program now influences more than 80 percent of the U.S. fed cattle supply.
- Safety matters—97 percent of cattle farmers and ranchers believe producing safe beef is crucial to the future of the industry. Producing the best beef possible is supported by nearly a century of research-based improvements funded by the industry in nutritional value, beef quality and safety assurance.
- Committed to the environment—Nearly 95 percent of producers say conservation of land is extremely important to them, while 86 percent manage their operations in a way that protects the quality of natural resources, including wildlife and biodiversity.
- Producers care about their communities—Beef is produced in all 50 states by a diverse group of men and women of all ages who have different backgrounds and production methods, but who share the same core values. CSR findings show that more than nine of 10 cattle operations are family owned, and 78 percent of farmers and ranchers say they intend to pass their operations onto future generations. More than half of current operations—58 percent—have been in the family for at least three generations.
Your checkoff contributions work to get the word out to consumers. It’s one of the ways the checkoff works to open new doors for beef by building consumer confidence.
You can find the full report on the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. website. Visit www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/newsroom
“We want consumers to know we aren’t just farmers and ranchers, but also animal caretakers, nutritionists, small business owners, environmentalists, and members of our communities.”
