Metro Ontario plans to purchase three million pounds of beef from Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) certified sustainable farms and ranches by 2026.
Metro says the move is to support the company’s responsible sourcing goals and the beef will be sourced using a mass balance system and incorporated into Metro’s Platinum Grill Angus Canadian AAA beef program. The beef will be available in all 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. Metro says 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.
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.
The company says sourcing CRSB Certified beef addresses multiple elements of its corporate priorities when it comes to responsible procurement, including animal welfare, environmental protection, and social responsibility, to only name a few.
“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 of fresh merchandising, Metro Ontario.
