Beef Quality Assurance & cattle welfare

1. BQA Certification is Essential for Beef Producers
   The Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is crucial for beef cattle producers, offering training and certification to ensure high-quality beef production. BQA certification helps meet growing consumer demand for transparency in food production, including animal welfare and safe handling practices. Producers can get certified via in-person training, online modules, or through consultation with veterinarians and beef educators.
2. BQA's Impact on Beef Industry Improvements
   The BQA program has significantly reduced issues such as injection site lesions and carcass bruising, which previously resulted in financial losses for the beef industry. For example, injection site lesions have decreased from 22.3% in 1991 to less than 3% in 2000 for fed cattle, and extreme carcass bruising has dropped below 2%. The reduction of these defects has saved millions in potential losses, including over $62 million from bruising and $2.42 million from lesions in 2016 alone.
3. Enhancing Consumer Confidence
   BQA also plays a critical role in boosting consumer confidence. Research shows that consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare, with 68% making purchasing decisions based on animal welfare practices. BQA helps beef producers communicate their commitment to high standards of animal care, addressing consumer concerns and enhancing the beef industry's reputation. After being exposed to the BQA program, consumer perceptions of how cattle are raised improved significantly, with negative perceptions dropping from 5% to 2%, and positive perceptions increasing from 20% to 30%.
4. BQA as the Industry Standard for Animal Welfare
   BQA has become the gold standard for animal welfare in the beef industry. Major beef packers like Tyson and Cargill now require BQA certification for cattle suppliers, and even transporters must be BQA Transportation (BQAT) certified. Additionally, the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) has incorporated BQA as a key metric for animal health and welfare in its sustainability efforts. This industry-wide adoption of BQA means that producers do not have to implement multiple, potentially inconsistent animal welfare programs to market their cattle.
5. BQA's Role in Ensuring Long-term Sustainability
   As sustainability becomes a focus in the beef industry, BQA plays a crucial role by providing a proven, science-based framework for improving animal welfare. By adhering to BQA guidelines, producers can confidently meet sustainability targets related to animal care without needing to adopt potentially burdensome or unrealistic external welfare programs. The BQA program supports the industry's ongoing commitment to transparency, trust, and responsible production practices.

In conclusion, the BQA program offers a comprehensive approach to improving animal welfare, reducing defects, increasing consumer trust, and ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of the beef industry. Producers are encouraged to become BQA certified through local or online training to contribute to these industry-wide benefits.