R-Calf rides again

[grassfarmer]

In the UK the National Beef Association is already actively advertising the fact that Brasil is clearing the rainforest to produce beef. They are trying to shame retailers into buying less overseas beef by making beef customers aware of this poor environmental practice. Is that something we should consider doing?

[topper]

Its pretty hard for us in Canada to critisize anyone for clearing forest land for farm land as we have done plenty of it ourselves.

[nerves]

yes topper that is true but remember over 90% of wildlife live spieces live around the equator where here in Canada most of our spieces migrate. It may be one way to slow down cheap agriculture products the consumer has the last say.

[cakadu]

You are too right topper. We have only something like 17% of forested land that hasn't been touched. I was quite shocked to hear this figure. We are destroying habitat everyday and draining wetlands (or have drained wetlands). Given the moisture situation this year and the last couple of years, maybe we should be thinking about restoring and rejuvenating some of our own wetlands and environmentally senstive areas.

[amazed]

Before any of you start thinking R-calf are just a bunch of "good 'ol boys" just looking out for themselves read this quote from their V. President Kathleen Kelley.

"We know there's a serious problem in Canada," Kelley said. "Three cases of BSE originated there in less than a year in a testing program of only 4,000 animals out of a 15 million cow herd."

NOTHING but an outright lie. R-calf has also launched an injunction to stop the USDA from allowing ANY and ALL Canadian beef from entering the US. Remember how rosy things were up here last summer?

It has been mentioned on this site that we need an "R-calf" to represent us up here. Well if this is an example of the tactics they use, count me out.

[kato]

I'm not sure about other provinces, but here in Manitoba we have improved wetlands to the point that when the geese get back to the States they are considered pests!

There's a lot of movement to protecting waterways and fencing them off so the cattle can't get into it too.

We're heading the right direction, and I think the environment is going to keep improving.

In Brazil it's still slash and burn, and don't worry about the future. They haven't come to the point where they realize the long term damage yet. They will some day. I just hope it's not too late.

[Smithy]

This is pretty scary...looks like R-CALF just won a round.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040426.wmooo0426/BNStory/National/

[almoy]

I wonder what effect this will have on our prices !

[rsomer]

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/CalgarySun/News/2004/04/27/437842.html

A federal U.S. judge's ruling preventing the U.S. Agriculture Department from further expanding beef imports from Canada is just another glitch in the battle to open the border, say Alberta cattlemen. Yesterday's temporary injunction by U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull puts the Canadian industry back to where it was before the USDA announcement earlier this month, which means Canada can only export boneless fresh or frozen beef from cattle less than 30 months of age.

But the injunction, which lasts until a May 11 hearing, is a hiccup rather than a disaster, said Canadian cattle ranchers.

"We don't see this affecting the rule-making process," said Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.

"It just moves us back to where we were ... our sense is this should not slow down the rule-making process which will establish the permanent rules."

[grassfarmer]

So do the changes Canada has just made to allow the same US products back into our market still stand?
Of course they will! presumably with full backing of all the Canadian cattle organisations? Let the Americans walk all over us again and then get mad at R-Calf.