Country Natural Beef to go Non-GMO
This article was originally published in March 2016
We’re delighted to report that the ranchers of Country Natural Beef (CNB) have voted to become Non-GMO Project Verified. It’s a breakthrough moment: CNB will be the first national brand of beef to be non-GMO verified.
“Within 18 months all the beef in PCC stores will be Non-GMO Project Verified from birth,” says Stacy Davies of Roaring Springs Ranch, a member of the CNB cooperative of ranchers. “The finishing feed (at Beef Northwest in Toppenish, Washington) already is Non-GMO Project Verified, so the CNB beef at PCC today already is ‘finished’ on non-GMO feed.”
PCC meat staff and public affairs participated in the decision-making process at CNB’s annual meeting in January, a fine demonstration of the democratic, cooperative process. There was robust conversation among men and women ranchers, the youngest in their 20s, the oldest in their 70s, all sharing their hopes and concerns about going non-GMO in a transparent but respectful manner. Then, each family cast their votes. Going non-GMO was the result.
This is CNB’s 30th year as a cooperative and PCC has partnered with it almost from the beginning. In those early years, from 1981 to 1986, overproduction, falling land values and skyrocketing interest rates had taken their toll on many ranchers. A small group of ranchers decided their only hope was to do something remarkable, which was a risk at the time: produce range-grazed beef without hormones or antibiotics, ever.
The move to go non-GMO demonstrates again CNB’s pioneering spirit and its commitment to hear what consumers want.