CALF_News_October_November_2021

6 CALF News • October | November 2021 • www.calfnews.net Continued on page 8  T hink about the possibility of climate neutrality for U.S. cattle production by 2040. Can it be done? The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) believes you can bet your boots on it, so much so that it made it part of the association’s list of sustainability goals that were announced at the recent Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in Nashville. Industry sustainability was among topics discussed by some 6,000 who attended the convention at the mam- moth Opryland Resort and Convention Center. The event featured the annual NCBA Cattlemen’s College, dozens of policy meetings and a host of entertain- ment. It wasn’t hard to get in 8,000 steps a day maneuvering from meeting to meeting or trade show booth to another. Sustainability has been a divisive topic in the cattle industry the past decade. When compared to the envi- ronmental and animal welfare concerns of many consumers, beef retailers and food service entities that cater to them, cattle producers typically see their profit margin as the key element in the sustain- ability of their operation. Of course, cattlemen and women are staunch stewards of the land, their water and the cattle in their care. But making a profit must also be considered in the sustainability equation, said Marty Smith, NCBA past president and part of a longtime Florida ranching family. “Producers deserve recognition for their use of cutting-edge practices and technologies that minimize environmen- tal impact,” Smith added. In introducing the NCBA goal for climate neutrality, he outlined three other objectives: • Create and enhance opportunities that result in a quantifiable increase in producer profitability and economic sustainability by 2025. • Enhance trust in cattle producers as responsible stewards of their animals and resources by expanding educa- tional opportunities in animal care and handling programs to further improve animal care. • Continuously improve our industry’s workforce safety and wellbeing. “By setting goals, we’re publicly com- mitting to continuous improvement and setting targets that allow us to measure and document those efforts,” Smith said. Beef industry sustainability was the topic of a panel. It featured NCBA CEO Colin Woodall and representatives of food service Kristine Young of Darden Restaurants and David Norton of Sysco. “Five years ago there’s no way we would have had this panel,”Woodall said, noting how the attitude toward better sustainability education has evolved. Sysco, which services tens of thou- sands of restaurants internationally, has 2021 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor Sustainability Policy, Marketing, Checkoff Success COVER STORY NCBA Past President Marty Smith, a Florida producer, believes climate neutrality for U.S. cattle production by 2040 is feasible.