Definition of Sustainable Beef: Principles and Criteria Process Summary

Definition of Sustainable Beef: Principles and Criteria Process Summary Purpose of the document This document serves as a process summary, a terms of reference and to contribute to the historical record of the development process for GRSBs principles and criteria. It sets out the purpose, goals, objects and process through which principles and criteria defining sustainable beef within the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef are developed, reviewed and updated. About Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is a multi- stakeholder initiative consisting of members from across the beef value chain who are committed to working constructively to increase the sustainability of beef production. GRSB Vision "We envision a world in which all aspects of the beef value chain are environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable." GRSB Mission "The GRSB mission is to advance continuous improvement in sustainability of the global beef value chain through leadership, science and multi- stakeholder engagement and collaboration." Justification of Need for Common Definition of Sustainable Beef: Principles and Criteria As a result of the multi- stakeholder process within the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (see www.grsbeef.org for a list of participants) it was determined that a definition (i.e. an overarching definition, elaborated through principles and criteria) of sustainable beef would be required to clarify GRSBs vision and mission to both internal and external stakeholders. Principle and Criteria Objectives The objectives of the GRSB Principles and Criteria for sustainable Beef production are: Provide a common definition of sustainable beef Provide as aspirational framework for national and regional roundtables to use to consider appropriate indicators to improve the sustainability of beef production within their areas of influence Provide a baseline to evaluate the relative credibility and effectiveness of third party standard systems. Provide a communication tool that will build greater stakeholder understanding of beef sustainability Inform sourcing decision makers on the principles and criteria of sustainable beef Ensure accountability of systems claiming to be sustainable

Principle and Criteria, Scope and Application GRSBs Principles and Criteria do not extend to prescriptive management practices; however we recognize that continuous improvement towards equivalent measurable performance outcomes, rather than identical production systems by type (e.g. intensive or extensive), are the appropriate basis for comparisons and recommendations. Realizing that each segment of the beef value chain has shared responsibility toward beef sustainability it is expected that these Principles and Criteria be applied across the entire supply chain from farm to retail. Criteria are limited in their scope to issues under direct control of the beef value chain. GRSB does not intend to set standards or to create a certification program but to provide a common baseline understanding of sustainable beef that national roundtables and other initiatives can use to meet their needs. GRSB does expect however, that these Principles and Criteria will be the baseline definition and common foundation of initiatives aligned with the GRSB vision and mission. The Global Roundtable fully recognizes that given the diversity of beef production systems around the world that local, national and regional interpretation must take place, and that there will be differences in indicators per region. The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef has agreed that the next steps will include the development of more regional- specific indicators, but that GRSB would not develop a seal, certification or comparable standard for global sustainable beef. Process Summary Key steps are taken to ensure broad participation into the principle and criteria development process including: Definition Committee formed to Lead the principle and criteria development process Technical Working Groups Conduct the technical work of writing the principles and criteria for each subject. GRSB member consultation member organizations reviewed the initial draft. Editing and Writing First draft created through professional writer Expert review and refinement Initial external review Public consultation and comment period & refinement 60 day public review GRSB member ratification GRSB official adoption of Principles and criteria Decision Making, Opportunity to Contribute and Complaint Resolution Authority & Decision Making The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is the convening and organizing entity developing the sustainable beef principles and criteria and as such the organization s by- laws is the guiding document providing oversight of the process of developing the principles and criteria and GRSB retains final ownership and authority over the principles and criteria. Nonetheless, decisions are and will be made by consensus defined as general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interests and by a process seeking to take into account the views of interested parties, particularly those directly affected, and to reconcile any conflicting arguments. Consensus need not imply unanimity. Where consensus cannot be reach the Executive Board of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef will make a determination concerning appropriate next steps. Opportunity to Contribute GRSB will follow the credibility principles identified by ISEAL and will use lessons learned from other initiatives and organizations including the concept of balance of interests and decision by consensus as defined above. (based on ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004).

GRSB is committed to providing interested parties with meaningful opportunities to contribute to the development or revision of the sustainable beef principles and criteria. GRSB has a procedure in place (outlined in this document) to ensure that discussions and decisions involve a balanced group of stakeholders. A meaningful opportunity means that an interested party is can submit comments at each stage of the principle and criteria development or revision process, and that those comments are duly considered by the GRSB. Giving interested parties an equal opportunity to participate in a group means that there are no criteria or circumstances that preclude consideration of expressions of interest from any interested parties. It does not mean that all parties must be included. Complaint Resolution In line with ISEAL guidelines on resolving complaints; GRSB will have in place a credible complaints resolution mechanism for the impartial handling of procedural complaints. Interested parties will have access to this complaints resolution mechanism. 1 GRSB will make impartial and documented efforts to resolve complaints, based on this publicly documented complaints resolution mechanism. Decisions taken on complaints will be disclosed at least to the affected parties. A distinction between substantive and procedural complaints is necessary to avoid frivolous complaints. Substantive complaints relate to the content of the principle and criteria and will be dealt with through the principle and criteria development or revision process. Procedural complaints relate to the way in which the principle and criteria was developed. These can include complaints about the process for deciding on the content of the principle and criteria, but not about the content of the principle and criteria itself. Credibility Principles GRSB is committed to voluntarily following the credibility principles outlined by ISEAL and will use additional lessons learned from other organizations to support the development of the principles and criteria, including: 1. Sustainability Clearly define and communicate the sustainability objectives and approach to achieving them and make decisions that best advance these objectives. Response to a need in the market Defining sustainable beef is not an arbitrary or capricious objective but is an undertaking set in motion by alignment on a need identified by GRSB, a broad based stakeholder group of beef value chain stakeholders. 2. Improvement Seek to understand the impact of principles and criteria and measure and demonstrate progress towards their intended outcomes. The principles and criteria regularly integrate learning and encourage innovation to increase benefit to people and the environment. 1 The two elements of complaints resolution that make it credible are that it is impartial and that it is documented. Impartial means that it is based on a consistent procedure that does not favour one party over another. A documented effort means that the decision- making process and resulting decision are written down and made available to all those who request them.

Focused on minimizing or eliminating the most important environmental and/or social negative impacts Principles and criteria address HCV preservation, GHG emissions reduction, soil and water use and pollution, waste management and biodiversity protection. On the social side, important elements to consider are the respect for basic human rights, land use and tenure rights, property rights, indigenous people s rights, workers rights and community benefits. Based on objective and measurable performance Enable reporting clearly linked with environmental and/or social performance; this requires defining a baseline, identifying principles, criteria and indicators and putting in place a process to report on reduction in negative impacts and improvement of performance. Though it is desirable for objectives to be performance- based and metric, it is recognized that this is not always feasible. Commitment to continuous improvement GRSBs monitoring and review processes will include commitment to continual improvement. According to ISEAL, a principle and criteria review process will take place every five years. In addition, the scheme will include surveillance, monitoring and reporting guidelines. 3. Relevance Fit for purpose. The P&C address the most significant sustainability impacts of a product, process, business or service; only include requirements that contribute to their objectives; reflect best scientific understanding and relevant international norms; and are adapted where necessary to local conditions. 4. Rigour All components of the P&C are structured to deliver quality outcomes. Principles and criteria and regional indicators are designed to create measurable progress towards increasing the sustainability of the global beef value chain, while comparative analysis provides an accurate picture of whether 3 rd party systems are compatible with GRSB s. 5. Engagement Engage a balanced and representative group of stakeholders in principle & criteria development. GRSB provides meaningful and accessible opportunities to participate in governance, assurance and monitoring and evaluation. By balanced and representative we mean that: GRSB s definition of sustainable beef is developed by groups of experts from all over the world, participating working groups within the roundtable that negotiate all aspects of the principle and criteria, including its scope, key definitions and content. Follows a multi stakeholder process involving at least; national or regional roundtables, producers, processors and commercial companies, civil society and retailers. No single interest category, individual or organization can dominate the principle and criteria development process. Participants from diverse interest categories including all constituencies will be sought with the objective of achieving balance. GRSB balances economic, social and environmental considerations of diverse stakeholders meaningfully and equitably through its tiered voting structure according to both constituency and scale. Decision- making procedures will take into account the range of relevant interests either through consensus or by achieving balanced decision- making. Participation including a) expressing a position and its basis, b) having that position considered, and c) having the right to appeal, will be open to all persons (organization, company, government agency, individual, etc.) who are directly and materially affected by the activity in question with no undue financial barriers to participation.

Voting membership on the consensus body will not be unreasonably restricted on the basis of technical qualifications or other such requirements.. 6. Impartiality Principle and criteria identify and mitigate conflicts of interest throughout their operations, particularly in the assurance process and in governance. Transparency, accessibility and balanced representation contribute to impartiality. 7. Transparency and public reporting Principle and criteria development make relevant information freely available in the public domain about the development and content of the principle and criteria, how the system is governed, who is evaluated and under what process, impact information and the various ways in which stakeholders can engage. 8. Accessibility To reduce barriers to implementation, GRSB will seek to minimise costs and overly burdensome requirements and will facilitate access to information about meeting the principals & criteria, training, and financial resources to build capacity throughout supply chains and for actors within the system. 9. Truthfulness Claims and communications made by actors within GRSB about the benefits or impacts that derive from P&C, indicators and their implementation in practice are verifiable, not misleading, and enable an informed choice. The principles and criteria will be developed with a scientific basis and updated and/or reconfirmed over time to reflect scientific findings related to the issues the principle and criteria address, as well as evolving legislation. 10. Efficiency Systems refer to or collaborate with other credible schemes to improve consistency and efficiency in principle & criteria content and operating practices. 12. Based on a consensus Developing the definition for sustainable beef is based on consensus i.e. General agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interests and by a process seeking to take into account the views of interested parties, particularly those directly affected, and to reconcile any conflicting arguments. Consensus need not imply unanimity. It is not necessary to reach consensus prior to the period when draft principle and criteria are posted for public comment. In cases where decisions are taken by a vote, GRSB s voting structure ensures that the range of economic, social and environmental interests are not overruled. 13. Compliant with relevant national and international laws At a minimum require compliance with relevant national, regional and international laws. 14. Adaptable to reflect national/regional conditions and needs The generic global principles and criteria may need to be further specified and adapted to national/regional circumstances in order to reflect the diverse legal, social, geographical conditions, and production systems. This will be achieved through the development of national or regional indicators. 15. Focused on mainstreaming production or supply

The scheme will drive improvement at scale to avoid continued widespread damage to natural assets and to maximise the effect of collaboration. Achieving real change in the mainstream commodity market requires that the approach taken is precompetitive. 16. Complaint and appeal mechanisms The established mechanism for hearing complaints and resolving conflict is part and parcel of GRSB s accountability and credibility. It greatly reduces the risk of undue influence by one or more stakeholders. It also acknowledges that production processes are complex and involve stakeholders with potentially divergent and conflicting views. Prompt consideration will be given to the written views and objections of all participants, including those commenting on the public comment listing. Written procedures contain an identifiable, realistic, and readily available appeals mechanism for the impartial handling of procedural appeals regarding any action or inaction. Procedural appeals include whether a technical issue was afforded due process. Consultation Process GRSB was guided in the development of these Principles by an international multi stakeholder Definition Committee of GRSB that is responsible for the final content of the document. The details of the Definition Committee can be found on the GRSB website: www.grsbeef.org. The development process of the principles and criteria will include one 60 day public consultation/comment period one 30 day final review period. Comments and feedback on these Principles and criteria are welcome at any time and can be submitted to GRSB at comments@grsbeef.org using the comment form accessible at www.grsbeef.org/draftprinciples Consultation Process A public consultation period of 60 days, incorporating comments previously received; Synopsis of how comments were addressed and proposal on revision prepared by the Definition Committee; A review period of 30 days, where outstanding issues exist; Synopsis of how the additional comments were addressed and proposal for a second revision prepared by the Definition Committee; Recommendation by the GRSB Definition Committee whether to approve proposed revision, with or without amendments, based on the results of the consultation; Decision whether to approve the principles and criteria taken by the GRSB Board and based on the quality of the process followed; and Opportunity for the GRSB General Assembly to ratify the principles and criteria to be presented at the Global Conference on Sustainable Beef. How to Contribute The GRSB welcomes comments on the principles and criteria for sustainable beef at any time. Comments will be incorporated into the next review process. Please submit comments by mail or email to the address below, using the comment submission form that is available on the GRSB website. All enquiries and comment submissions related to the principles and criteria can be made through the following central focal point: Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef info@grsbeef.org www.grsbeef.org 13570 Meadowgrass Av, Suite 201 Colorado Springs, 80921, CO

Regular Review Subsequent to the first version of the GRSB principles and criteria for sustainable beef, the public review and revision process will take place every 3 5 years. For full description of the process, including access to submitted comments please see refer to the GRSB website (www.grsbeef.org) Public Consultation The public consultation phase for principle and criteria development or revision will include at least two rounds of comment submissions by interested parties, where necessary. The extent of the consultation process will be determined by both the scope of the revision and the end use of the principle and criteria. For example, administrative and non- substantive changes to a principle and criteria can be made at the discretion of the GRSB without need of a consultation or formal revision process. A second round is necessary when substantive, unresolved issues persist after the first round. It is difficult to predict in advance whether a second round of consultation will be necessary so all consultation processes will initially anticipate two rounds of consultation. Assuming adequate outreach has taken place in the first round, one round of comments may be sufficient in the following circumstances (not an exhaustive list): Where there are no objections raised or substantial comments received in that round; Adequate outreach has taken place in the first round, resulting in a balanced participation of interested parties and where stakeholder participation goals have been met; Where a balloting system is in place to resolve outstanding issues, negative ballots without comments will not require resolution and re- balloting; Where urgent problems of safety, health or environment arise or threaten to arise; Where necessary to meet rapid changes in the marketplace; and Where there are no additional issues that could be highlighted in a second consultation round, such as terms and definitions or implementation rules. Where the number of rounds of comments or duration of the comment period is reduced, the GRSB will give consideration to the impact this may have on buy- in to the principle and criteria and acceptance by interested parties. Each round will include a period of at least 60 days for the submission of comments. However, this period may be shortened where justified in writing by GRSB. In such cases, the comment period will still be no less than 30 days and justification for any reduction will be included in the public summary of the consultation process. The length of consultation periods will take into account any translation requirements, including translating principle and criteria requirements into locally relevant terms, means of transmission to the interested parties and the return of their comments, and the methods used to communicate with interested parties. Where those methods include field testing or workshops, these will be planned in advance so as to coincide with the consultation period. GRSB are encouraged to increase the comment period if required by these circumstances. It is useful to recognise that there is a law of diminishing returns on the number of new issues raised through comment submissions. While it is important that key stakeholder groups have ample opportunities to comment, the rate at which new issues for consideration are raised diminishes as more comments are received. The GRSB will feel comfortable that they have been made aware of most of the major issues, as well as hearing from most major stakeholder groups, without expending excessive energy to ensure submission of every last comment. Taking Comments into Account GRSB will take into account all comments and input received during the period for commenting. Comments received by GRSB will be considered on an objective basis. Input will be received in a variety of formats (from written comments, teleconferences and wikis to workshops and pilot tests). Adequate care needs to be taken to weight these various types of inputs equally. Taking a comment into account means that it is considered in the revision of the principles and criteria

and a justification given if the issue area that the comment addresses is not to be incorporated. Common practice is to link comments to the criterion to which they relate and then to respond on each criterion. GRSB will compile comments received according to the issues raised and will prepare a written synopsis of how each material issue has been addressed in the principle and criteria revision. A written synopsis will contain at least a summary of input related to each criterion and a response as to how the issues raised were addressed. This synopsis will be made publicly available and will be sent to all parties that submitted comments. GRSB will consider the extent to which they can make the original comments publicly available in addition to the synopsis. Public availability of the synopsis means that, at minimum, it is posted to the GRSB website and a notice of its availability is distributed to interested parties by email. Considerations need to be made for notifying those interested parties who do not have access to email or internet. Principle and Criteria Development Time Line Action Date Result Definition Committee Formed and Terms of Reference Developed April, 2013 Principle categories identified and work on refining the principles and identifying criteria began Working Groups Apr. Aug., 2013 Refine principles and develop criteria GRSB membership review Sep., 2013 Member comments incorporated by working groups Working Group Review Oct. Nov., 2013 Subject Matter Expert Review Jan., 2014 Document edited to reflect inputs from external reviewers / members 1 st Public comment period Mar 17 May 16 2014 Public Review Period July, 2014 GRSB General Assembly Ratification 4 th quarter, 2014 Availability Records of the development activities will be prepared and maintained by GRSB and will be made available to interested parties upon request. GRSB will at least make available through their website a list of records available for review on request, or will make the records themselves available on the website. GRSB will keep on file documentation of the development process, associated policies and procedures, lists of stakeholders contacted and the interested parties involved at each stage of the process, comments received and a synopsis of how those comments were taken into account, and all draft and final versions of the principles and criteria. Given the variation in scale of different stakeholder consultation processes, records of who was involved in the process, how decisions were made, etc. are important factors for stakeholders to determine the legitimacy of the process. Records will be kept for a minimum of five years. Reference Material ISEAL, Credibility Principles, http://www.isealalliance.org/our- work/defining- credibility/credibility- principles ISEAL, Codes of Good Practices, http://www.isealalliance.org/our- work/defining- credibility/codes- of- good- practice/standard- setting- code ISO, How does ISO Develop Standards, http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development.htm ANSI, Standards Activities, http://www.ansi.org/standards_activities/overview/overview.aspx?menuid=3