Source: Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
Metro Ontario announced its commitment to buying three million pounds of beef from Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) certified sustainable farms and ranches by 2026 in support of responsible sourcing. The beef will be sourced using a mass balance system and incorporated in Metro’s Platinum Grill Angus Canadian AAA Beef Program, and available in all its 130 Metro stores in Ontario.
METRO Inc. has been a CRSB member since 2016. As part of this commitment, in 2021, Metro Ontario purchased 400,000 pounds of beef from CRSB Certified farms and ranches and plans to purchase an additional 750,000 pounds in 2022. While this is already a substantial commitment to supporting beef sustainability in Canada for the grocer, the amount of beef purchased from CRSB Certified farms and ranches will continue to increase yearly between now and 2026 towards a total commitment of three million pounds, subject to availability.
A commitment to responsibly-sourced products
METRO adopted a Supplier Code of Conduct in 2017 to provide its customers with the responsibly- sourced products they are looking for and to communicate its expectations and requirements to suppliers to better meet the challenges in the supply chain. Furthermore, METRO released its third Corporate Responsibly Plan last January for the next five years and made specific commitments to implement responsible practices within its supply chain to offer customers products that respect workers and the environment.
Sourcing CRSB Certified beef addresses multiple elements of METRO’s priorities when it comes to responsible procurement, including animal welfare, environmental protection, and social responsibility, to only name a few. Indeed, CRSB defines beef sustainability as being socially responsible, environmentally sound, and economically viable. In other words, it means caring for the animals, families and communities; conserving and enhancing the land, water and air; and building a strong foundation for generations to come.
“Responsible procurement is a priority of our corporate responsibility 2022-2026 plan. METRO actively seeks to conduct business with suppliers that share the company’s commitment and proactively integrate practices that are environmentally, socially, and economically responsible practices into their activities. CRSB Certified farms can produce beef in a way that’s accountable to the environment, animals, the farmers and ranchers that grow food. Metro Ontario is thrilled to partner with the CRSB supporter program,” says Andre Gagne, Vice President Fresh Merchandising, Metro Ontario.
“It is encouraging to see METRO, a long-time member of the CRSB, making a strong commitment to sourcing beef from certified sustainable farms and ranches over the next several years,” says Anne Wasko, Chair of the CRSB and CRSB Certified rancher from Eastend, SK. “This, coupled with other environmental and social commitments they are making, show their customers that they are committed to making a positive contribution, not only in the beef supply chain, but across their entire business. We look forward to working with METRO in fulfilling their commitments.”
