Working groups deliver recommendations on industry issues

Traceability Working Group

Following resolutions passed at the ABP Annual General Meeting in March, a Traceability Working Group (TWG) was established to examine the Canadian cattle traceability system. The group convened twice over the summer, facilitated by the Ag Advisory Council.

The TWG focused on a clear mandate: to identify ways to advance cattle traceability that are effective and impactful while remaining practical and cost-effective for producers. Members also emphasized that any future improvements must respect producer profitability and privacy while helping maintain the confidence of domestic and international customers and markets.

The group brought together a diverse cross-section of the cattle industry, representing a wide range of perspectives and experiences. Through discussions, members reached broad agreement that while Canada’s current traceability system provides important benefits, it contains significant gaps that would limit the industry’s ability to respond effectively to a foreign animal disease outbreak. In particular, the absence of comprehensive movement reporting was identified as a key weakness.

A central finding of the TWG was that addressing these gaps must be driven by industry rather than imposed through government mandates. Members emphasized that meaningful improvements are more likely to succeed when built on voluntary participation and supported by the use and enhancement of existing traceability tools and systems already familiar to producers.

As a result of its work, the TWG is issuing recommendations to the ABP Board of Directors. The primary recommendation is to pursue a traceability program that closes existing gaps in the system and strengthens the industry’s ability to respond during animal health emergencies.

The suggested path forward focuses on increasing communication, education, and producer assistance, and on using existing traceability tools. The group recommends the development of a voluntary movement-reporting program designed to improve the quality and completeness of traceability information.

ABP’s Board of Directors meets in September and will review the findings of the TWG.

Provincial Working Group

The Canadian Cattle Association’s (CCA’s) Board of Directors approved bylaw changes at the organization’s Semi-Annual Meeting in August. The approved bylaw changes will take effect in the spring of 2027.

A key component of the new structure is the creation of a Provincial Members Council (PMC). The PMC will be made up of representatives from CCA’s Provincial Members and will make decisions using a weighted voting system that reflects provincial cattle populations and retained marketings. Under the approved model, Alberta will hold 12 of the PMC’s 32 weighted votes.

The PMC will play an important oversight role and will be responsible for approving the national funding and representation model, any future changes to Board seat allocations and provincial voting weights, and the appointment of an auditor, as well as approving the association’s audited financial statements.

The bylaws also establish a revised Board of Directors structure. The Board will consist of 18 Directors appointed from the Provincial Members, including seven seats allocated to Alberta. The Board’s primary responsibility will be to supervise and direct the business, activities, and affairs of the CCA, ensuring the organization remains focused on advancing the interests of Canada’s cattle producers.

To support effective governance, the bylaws identify several core standing committees, including Governance, Finance, Audit, and Issue and Policy Committees. The Board will also have the flexibility to establish additional standing or ad hoc committees as needed to address emerging priorities and industry issues. The Governance, Finance, and Audit Committees will remain permanent components of the governance structure.

The approved bylaws also introduce a new approach to funding. National funding will be governed through a funding and representation model approved by the PMC and based on retained marketings. To ensure the model remains current and equitable, it will be reviewed every three years, or sooner if a Provincial Member’s retained marketings increase or decrease by more than 10 per cent.

ABP will continue engaging producers on these changes and their implications for Alberta’s representation at the national level. More information will be shared through upcoming Producer Meetings, and further discussion is expected at the ABP Annual General Meeting in December.

Coal Working Group

Following extensive discussion and review, the Coal Mining Policy Working Group brought forward a proposed policy on industrial development and mining for consideration by the ABP Board of Directors. The policy was approved at the July 28, 2026 Board Meeting and will guide ABP’s advocacy on issues related to mining, resource development, agricultural land, and water protection.

The policy recognizes that beef producers rely on sustainable access to agricultural land and water as critical resources for beef production. It states that industrial development, including mining projects, should not interfere with the long-term economic sustainability of the beef industry and that property rights must be respected by all parties.

Under the approved policy, ABP will advocate for legislative, regulatory, and/or policy reform regarding industrial development and mining projects to ensure:

• Environmentally sensitive and high-value agricultural landscapes are recognized and protected within land-use designation and project approval decisions. Project approvals should consider the long-term agricultural, environmental, and non-monetary value of the land.
• Environmental Impact Assessments are required for all projects and are used to inform mitigation plans and approval decisions.
• Agricultural receptors and pathways are included in Conceptual Site Models, and impacts to agricultural land and water are mitigated.
• Preventative measures are implemented to protect agricultural water quality and quantity.
• Meaningful consultation occurs with nearby and materially impacted producers throughout the approval, operational, and reclamation processes.
• Transparent and consistent regulatory processes are followed without executive decisions overruling established regulatory review processes.
• Mitigation of impacts is prioritized, with compensation provided where impacts cannot be avoided.
• Government monitoring of agricultural land and water is conducted at regular and appropriate intervals, results are made publicly available, and cumulative effects on agricultural land use are considered.
• Reclamation requirements protect land and water resources related to beef production and restore land to be compatible with pre-disturbance agricultural land use.
• Liability, accountability, and financial assurance mechanisms, including bonding systems, are sufficient to ensure reclamation obligations are fulfilled and liability cannot be inappropriately transferred.

This policy provides ABP with a clear framework for advocating on behalf of beef producers when industrial development and mining projects are proposed on or near agricultural lands. It reflects the importance of protecting the resources that support beef production while ensuring producers’ interests are considered throughout project planning, operation, and reclamation.

The next step will be incorporating the approved policy into ABPs Policy Manual, which will be updated and made available to members in both online and print formats.

Wildlife Working Group

The Wildlife Working Group (WWG) is dedicated to addressing wildlife issues impacting the greatest number of producers across the province. Group members have been meeting regularly to strategize ways of implementing resolutions passed earlier this year and in previous years.

The group has reviewed an ABP study on elk management in various jurisdictions and created a list of implementable best practices from other jurisdictions with the hope of establishing these changes in Alberta, ultimately benefiting producers and reducing human-elk conflicts. Recommendations were presented to the ABP Board of Directors at their September meeting and approved for implementation.

The WWG has also dedicated significant time to addressing predator issues. Key discussions have included requirements for an overhaul of Alberta’s predator compensation, mitigation, and prevention programming, and the case for lobbying in favour of the reinstatement of Alberta’s grizzly bear hunt. Members have been discussing the methodologies used in the 2010 listing of the grizzly bear as “Threatened” under the Provincial Wildlife Act, and the evidence for grizzly bear population and range expansion. They have also been reviewing measures taken toward recovery, as outlined in the provincial 2020 Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan.

The WWG brought forward several grizzly bear management recommendations to the ABP Board of Directors, all of which were approved.

Over the next few months, the WWG will prioritize improving problem wildlife programming, developing producer tools for reporting problem wildlife, and increasing producer access to wildlife-related resources.

This was first published in Volume 6 Issue 3 of ABP Magazine (September 2026). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily