California Beef Council Approves 2021 Work Plan, Appoints New Leadership
“California Beef Council decisions are driven by beef producers, and the cattlemen and women who are part of the organization carefully consider all strategies to determine the best way to invest our Checkoff dollars with the overall goal of driving beef demand.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jill Scofield, California Beef Council
jill@calbeef.org | 916.925.2333
Rocklin, CA – January 5, 2021 – The California Beef Council (CBC) will invest over $1 million in 2021 in efforts to promote beef, provide consumer information, engage with foodservice and retail stakeholders, educate health and nutrition influencers, and provide educational and informational resources to beef producers. This 2021 work plan and budget were approved by the producer-led CBC board of directors during its annual meeting, held virtually December 15 and 16.
“California Beef Council decisions are driven by beef producers, and the cattlemen and women who are part of the organization carefully consider all strategies to determine the best way to invest our Checkoff dollars with the overall goal of driving beef demand,” said 2020 CBC Chair Jesse Larios. “Every year, the CBC reviews proposals brought forth from CBC staff and external organizations to determine how to distribute our funding in a way that best serves the long-term success of California’s beef industry.”
Programs planned for 2021 include four seasonal integrated marketing campaigns, which will combine broad marketing and advertising efforts with retail-level promotions and incentives for purchasing beef. In 2019, similar campaigns resulted in over 97 million cumulative impressions, with the results of 2020 campaigns still being analyzed. Also included in the 2021 work plan are numerous educational programs targeting California health and nutrition professionals, with the goal of providing science-based nutrition information about beef to this community of influencers.
Continued enhancement and roll-out of digital resources and experiences for retail and foodservice professionals will also take place in 2021, providing crucial beef education tools for these industries that are ideal for the virtual world. For producers, educational programs in Beef Quality Assurance certification, media spokesperson training and industry advocacy will also take place.
In addition to setting the stage for 2021, CBC staff also thoroughly reviewed the results and outcomes of programs funded in 2020, providing producer leadership with a clear picture of what was accomplished.
“This past year has certainly been challenging, and like other organizations, the CBC had to pivot and refocus its efforts in the wake of the pandemic,” noted Larios. “Yet despite some of the setbacks this year caused, we were able to successfully move forward with a variety of efforts that positively represented our cattle and beef community. I am proud of the work the CBC is able to accomplish every year, but especially in this year of disruption and uncertainty.”
During its annual meeting, the CBC board also appointed its 2021 leadership, with an executive committee comprised of producers representing every sector of California’s beef industry. Serving as chair and vice chair in the coming year are Tom Barcellos of Porterville, representing the dairy sector, and Cindy Tews of Fresno, representing the range sector. Jesse Larios, 2020 chair of the CBC representing the feeder sector, will continue in an ex-officio role.
To learn more about the CBC plans for 2021 and results of 2020, a recording of the staff presentation is available at www.CalBeef.org/beef-producers.
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About the California Beef Council
The California Beef Council (CBC) was established in 1954 to serve as the promotion, research, and education arm of the California beef industry, and is mandated by the California Food and Agricultural Code. The CBC’s mission is to position the California beef industry for sustained beef demand growth through promotion, research and education. For more information, visit www.calbeef.org.
About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.