COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) is proud to announce the election of Ms. Nicole Johnson-Hoffman, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President for OSI Group, as President of the GRSB. Additionally, Dr. Leon Mol, Director of Product Safety & Social Compliance for Ahold Delhaize has been elected Vice President, and Cameron Bruett, Head of Corporate Affairs for JBS, has been re-elected Executive Committee Member At-Large.
Ms. Johnson-Hoffman, formerly GRSB Vice President, replaces Mr. Dennis Laycraft of Canadian Cattlemen's Association, who exits after serving a full, 2-year term, and who will now formally serve as Past President.
Dr. Leon Mol is new to the GRSB Executive Committee after serving on the Board of Directors, and Mr. Cameron Bruett is also a Past President of GRSB. These three new GRSB leaders join Mr. Carlos Saviani of World Wildlife Fund, who is the Secretary – Treasurer, and Executive Committee Member At-Large, Dr. Ignacio Blanco-Traba of McDonald’s Global, to make up the 2018 GRSB Executive Committee.
(See more about GRSB leadership: https://grsbeef.org/Leadership/)
"The GRSB focuses on continuous improvement, regardless of region, production system, scope of operation, or past performance. I'm pleased to be leading a growing membership-based organization that believes there are many paths to sustainability. GRSB brings together people from across the world, who represent all segments of the beef value chain, including individual producers, who ultimately agree there’s massive value in sharing knowledge, and who want to partner to drive exciting new levels of performance in areas impacting GRSB’s Principles and Criteria of Sustainable Beef" says Ms. Johnson-Hoffman.
"Continuous improvement in beef sustainability takes different forms and GRSB celebrates all the proactive work that’s being done across the globe. In some parts of the world sustainability is being driven by innovative producer education programs focused on soil management and quality cattle care. In other places, people are creating production system efficiencies that enable a reduction in the amount of water used in beef processing plants by tons each day. And in other locations, passionate people are coming together to form new regional roundtables focused on beef sustainability to aggressively address region-specific challenges.” Johnson-Hoffman adds.
“Sustainability doesn’t come from focusing on just one thing. Sustainability is not a buzzword. It’s not an initiative. It’s not a program. Sustainability is holistic. Sustainability is progressive. And the need for our work in sustainable beef only grows. GRSB is working to connect dots and drive best-in-class learning and thinking that prioritizes our planet, people and animals and we expect to see further growth in our organization in the coming months. We welcome those who are committed to sustainable beef to join us in this important work." encourages the new GRSB President.
Dr. Leon Mol brings a global retailer point of view to the GRSB executive team and agrees the momentum that’s been built within GRSB since 2010 is exciting and the collaborative approach that’s been taken is powerful.
"Sustainability is about continuous improvement, not perfection. The pre-competitive environment GRSB fosters and the way in which we're collaborating with regional roundtables and other key stakeholders is opening up new channels of transparency and monitoring progress. Consumers are asking for it and GRSB can act as a bridge and work to deliver what the market is waiting for."
Dr. Mol adds, "GRSB is collaborating in South America, Europe, Brazil, China, U.S., Canada, and more. Our work starts with a platform where knowledge is aggregated and shared and can move into joint initiatives for research projects and studies, which would not happen in a fragmented setting.
Ahold Delhaize takes responsibility for sustainability and I’m excited to work in this new leadership capacity with GRSB."
Mr. Bruett, who was an integral voice in the early formation of GRSB says he’s witnessed tremendous progress in global beef sustainability efforts and asserts that “Where we have weaknesses or opportunities for improvement, we should acknowledge them and focus on improving and documenting progress. GRSB recognizes there are many different approaches to sustainability and will continue to avoid prescriptive ways of doing business, and that is critical to our success.”
The new GRSB Executive Committee shares optimism and excitement about the future impacts GRSB will make and encourages you to visit grsbeef.org for more information.
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The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) is a global, multi-stakeholder initiative developed to advance continuous improvement in sustainability of the global beef value chain through leadership, science and multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration. The GRSB envisions a world in which all aspects of the beef value chain are environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable.
Source: The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB)