Beef Quality Assurance: Raising the Bar on Raising Cattle

Learn more at https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/raising-beef.

The beef community has a long-standing commitment to caring for their animals and providing families with the safest, highest-quality beef possible. Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a program that trains farmers and ranchers on best practice cattle management techniques to ensure their animals and the environment are cared for within a standard set of guidelines across the U.S. beef industry.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BEEF QUALITY ASSURANCE (BQA) CERTIFIED

Simply put, BQA helps beef farmers and ranchers raise better beef so consumers can feel even better about buying it. But it’s not always that simple, of course. Raising quality beef requires commitment and hard work. Certification is earned, not bought. For beef farmers and ranchers, that means using modern techniques to raise cattle under optimal environmental and economic conditions. For consumers, it means knowing the beef they buy is wholesome and delicious. In fact, more than 85% of U.S. beef comes from BQA-certified farmers and ranchers.

CATTLE CARE

The beef that farmers raise is the same beef they feed their own families, so it’s no surprise that they want the best care for their livestock to ensure everyone has wholesome, safe, nutritious beef.

HERD HEALTH

Farmers develop and maintain herd health plans that follow good veterinary and agriculture practices based on scientific research.

TRANSPORTING CATTLE

When transporting cattle, farmers ensure they are handling the cattle in ways that minimizes stress, injury and bruising.

RECORD KEEPING

Farmers keep diligent records on the care and treatment given to each animal to ensure the animal's and public's health and safety is the top priority.

CATTLE NUTRITION

Beef farmers make sure that cattle have access to an adequate water supply and appropriate nutrition sources.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Farmers monitor key environmental control areas to manage feed and water resources while protecting or enhancing the environment.

COMMON SENSE, BACKED BY SCIENCE

Beef Quality Assurance is better for cattle, better for farmers, and better for people who appreciate beef’s place in a healthy, sustainable diet. To earn BQA certification, beef farmers can take courses online or attend in-person trainings taught by a network of hundreds of state BQA coordinators and trainers. This voluntary program is an example of how the beef community is committed to raising cattle safely, humanely and sustainably.