Exploring ABP’s decision to withdraw from the CCA

Alberta Beef Producers announced a significant move in August, giving notice the commission will withdraw its membership from the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) as of July 1, 2026.

“Membership in national organizations like the CCA must deliver clear value to Alberta’s cattle producers,” said Doug Roxburgh, Chair of ABP. “We have a duty to Alberta producers to ensure their dollars are invested in organizations that reflect and advance our industry’s values.”

The notice follows careful deliberation and discussion between the Board and ABP’s delegate body and revolves around three primary areas of concern: funding and fiscal transparency; organizational structure and governance; and communications.

“This isn’t about stepping away from national collaboration,” says Roxburgh. “It’s about ensuring that collaboration is built on transparency, accountability, and shared priorities that reflect the needs of producers.”

ABP remains committed to strong representation at all levels of the industry, and believes that with meaningful reform the CCA can better serve its member provinces and the producers those member provinces represent.

“Our hope is for a strong national organization that ABP is a part of—that’s truthfully what we want to see.”

Opportunities for improvement

While the concerns raised are not new, ABP felt it was important to communicate them directly and formally to the CCA before sharing them more broadly. These issues, according to ABP, are foundational elements of a strong national organization. By taking action in these areas, CCA has a chance to improve how it serves members and strengthen its role as a voice for Canadian cattle production.

Funding and fiscal transparency

ABP appreciates that the CCA has an audit committee and engaged auditors. These are foundational elements of fiscal transparency and represent an important starting point. In addition to these pieces, ABP recommends regular reports from the Audit Committee and the establishment of an elected Finance Chair.

“With the national cow herd in decline, we recognize the potential for reduced marketings and consider this in every update to the fiscal plan at ABP,” says Roxburgh. “We’ve reached out to CCA for insight into how they’re preparing for a possible decrease in funding, with limited response. That’s why we’re advocating for an elected finance chair at CCA—someone who can provide clarity on financial planning and spending priorities.”

An elected position adds a layer of democratic oversight to financial management and can provide a clear line of communication between executive leadership and board members. With a finance chair, CCA would be more equipped to provide financial details ranging from long-term spending priorities to specific line items such as travel.

Another important point ABP has raised is that provincial funding assessments be based on retained marketings across all provinces, with the assessment rate of $0.53 remaining unchanged.

Historically, Alberta was required to remit funds to CCA based on total animal marketings. Following the plebiscite in 2018 and Alberta’s transition to a refundable model, the funding structure remained tied to gross marketings.

In 2023, ABP pushed for change and a three-year agreement was signed, enabling Alberta to send funds based on ‘retained’ checkoff dollars. That deal will expire next June 2026.

While refund requests in Alberta are decreasing, ABP maintains that provincial funding assessments need to be based on retained marketings across all provinces to ensure fairness and consistency. Unfortunately, despite efforts to work towards this, ABP Executive have reported no clear indication from CCA Officers that this approach would be seriously considered.

Organizational structure and governance

ABP delegates and directors have significant concerns regarding governance at CCA. As part of their recommendations, they are calling for the establishment of a dedicated governance committee and a comprehensive organizational and governance review of CCA.

“Governance isn’t a one-and-done process—it requires constant evaluation,” says ABP General Manager Brad Dubeau. “We’ve just been through a significant review at ABP, and still find ourselves identifying areas for improvement.”

The CCA is comprised of nine provincial member cattle associations that provide representation to a national, producer-led board of directors. ABP contributes 50 per cent of CCA’s budget, yet, under the freeze developed in the three-year agreement, holds only seven of 24 board member seats. As part of its list of withdrawal details, ABP is strongly urging the unfreezing of these seats and a revision of the representation formula.

Additionally, ABP would like to see CCA Executive engage a reputable third-party executive search firm to ensure strategic and unbiased leadership selection.

Communication

ABP is encouraging CCA to continually strengthen stakeholder engagement by bringing member provinces into conversations earlier and more consistently.

“When provincial commissions are brought in early, we can help shape the message and the strategy, not just react to it,” says Roxburgh. “That kind of collaboration is key to building trust and alignment.”

“Effective communication between provincial commissions and the national body is essential as these groups regularly collaborate on key issues at the national level,” says Dubeau. “This communication helps build a unified message where possible, and ensures all parties can review, digest, and contribute meaningfully.”

Considering the concerns and next steps

The decision to withdraw from the CCA was not made lightly. It reflects a clear and growing call from Alberta producers to address longstanding concerns (see the resolution from Central Zone in Volume 3 Issue 2 as an example). With the current three-year agreement set to expire on June 30, 2026, the impasse became a more pressing issue over the months that followed the AGM.

“After several conversations where progress on our areas of concern with CCA stalled, the topic of withdrawal began to take on greater weight at the board table,” said Dubeau. “There was also a clear understanding that such a significant decision required full involvement from the delegate body.”

Lengthy delegate discussions followed, which gave everyone the opportunity to discuss a potential withdrawal from CCA. These discussions culminated in a special delegate meeting on August 11, with Alberta Marketing Council on hand to ensure all requirements were met for such a meeting. A strong majority of delegates voted in favour of withdrawing. That was followed then by a board of directors meeting, with the same result.

“I know some producers have questioned the decision to make this public,” says ABP Chair Roxburgh. “ABP’s intention was always to engage directly with CCA through one-on-one conversations. We made every effort to do that and unfortunately have not seen meaningful change. Sharing this decision openly is part of our commitment to transparency and to keeping producers informed about where things stand.”

ABP will fulfill all financial obligations to the CCA through the conclusion of the current agreement on June 30, 2026.

“We essentially have between 8 to 10 months of runway to create meaningful discussions with the CCA to put something together to try and move things forward,” adds Roxburgh. “But producers can be confident that ABP has a well thought out plan that will ensure strong representation at a national level, if we get to that point. Right now, our focus remains on dialogue, with the goal of finding common ground.”

Currently, ABP funds 50 per cent of the CCA budget through the $2.00 Alberta Service Charge. The decision to withdraw does not affect funding to the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off Agency ($2.50 National Levy) or its service providers—Canada Beef, Public and Stakeholder Engagement, and Beef Cattle Research Council.

This was first published in Volume 5 Issue 3 of ABP Magazine (Fall 2025). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.