Many of us in the food business strive to acquire our raw materials from sources that are sustainable. This means that the raw materials consumed for our various products will be replaceable through proper management of the natural resources required to produce them in the first place.
Bank Brothers Sustainable Ingredients supports these goals and wherever possible attempts to use raw materials from sustainable sources. To this end BBSI became a member of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) which is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainability in the Canadian beef industry. We invite you to visit www.crsb.ca to learn more about its efforts to advance sustainability in Canadian beef products, including its five principles of sustainability: 1) preserving Canadian natural resources; 2) maintaining animal health and welfare; 3) having a positive effect on people and the community; 4) providing wholesome food to Canadians; and 5) promoting efficiency and innovation in the beef production industry.
Bank Brothers is a major producer of beef tallow and shortenings for the Canadian and North American market at our Brampton facility. Our suppliers of raw fats participate in the CRSB and we are honoured to be part of this group, seeking to make sustainability part of our business plan.
In 2016, the CRSB released the National Beef Sustainability Assessment and Strategy. This comprehensive farm-to-fork study benchmarked the sustainability performance of Canadian beef and set a strategy to continually improve that performance. We are proud to say that the Canadian beef industry has reduced its greenhouse gas footprint by 15% over the past 30 years, and currently has one of the lowest greenhouse gas footprints in the world. Similarly, the Canadian beef industry has reduced its water footprint by 17% over the past 30 years and has a relatively low water footprint, primarily due to the limited amount of irrigation on feed and highly efficient systems. You can find more information about the National Beef Sustainability Assessment and Strategy .
Beef producers in Canada manage 44 million acres of grasslands. Native prairie grasslands are iconic landscapes in Canada that provide a vital habitat for more than 60 at-risk species and offer much of the carbon capture potential for our country. However, they are disappearing at an alarming rate to the point where they are considered one of the most endangered ecosystems in the entire world.
We invite you to learn more about the integral role cattle play in maintaining and preserving grasslands for the plant and animal species that call them home through a new short documentary called “Guardians of the Grasslands.” The film was created in collaboration with local ranchers and wildlife and conservancy groups. Visit https://guardiansofthegrasslands.ca to learn more.