Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) joined a diverse coalition of private and public sector partners to develop a national sustainability benchmark for Canada’s agri-food sector.
There are three phases to this initiative and Phase 1 focused on why better benchmarking is needed, how it can be expressed and what value it confers to society, sector competitiveness and policymaking. Phase 1 reported that the set of sustainability indicators for the index could be developed based on four blocks: environmental progress, health and safety, well-being, and economic viability.
These four blocks align well with the CFC’s key sustainable values:
- Protecting bird health and welfare
- Producing safe chicken for Canadians
- Preserving the health of the land and of our farms
- Providing value to Canada, and affordable food to Canadians through supply management
Currently in Phase 2a, the coalition is dedicating time to building momentum, getting the operational model right and getting wider global visibility. The next Phase, 2b, will start at the end of April 2021 to develop the benchmarks. The final phase of the initiative (Phase 3) will include a complete review of the index leading to its expected launch in 2023.
A national sustainability index for the agri-food sector would help demonstrate the sector’s strengths to consumers, supply chain customers, regulators and investors. Sustainability is an important part of what we do every day, and we are committed demonstrating the efforts of Canadian chicken farmers and putting in the work necessary for improving and to address shortcomings.
For more information on this initiative read the Press release and the Phase 1 full report.
