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Beef Code of Practice Comment Period to Open on April 13th
April 12, 2026
The Beef Cattle Code of Practice sets the standard of care for beef cattle in Canada. It covers topics such as housing, feed and water, handling, euthanasia, transport, and other important management practices. The Beef Code focuses on achieving successful standards while allowing for flexibility in how outcomes are met rather than dictating all the processes or methods to be used. The Code recognizes that responsible care can be achieved through different approaches depending on context and operation type.
The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) oversees Code of Practice development and review through a structured, multi-stakeholder process that includes producers, veterinarians, scientists, transporters, processors, retailers, government, and animal welfare representatives. The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is a member of NFACC and serves as the national commodity organization responsible for initiating the code review process for its sector.
The first Code of Practice for beef cattle was published in 1991. It was later updated and re-released in 2013 as the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle. A five-year review was completed in 2018, and a subsequent update to the beef cattle Code was initiated in 2023.
The review process involves two committees: the Code Development Committee and Scientific Committee. The Code Development Committee updates the Code if required and the Scientific Committee reviews literature to determine priority welfare issues and summarizes the available research for the Code Committee. Science-informed, industry leadership on code development, reviews, and revisions ensures a code that reflects an animal care standard that is grounded in practicality while considering the diversity of Canadian beef cattle producers.
On Monday, April 13, 2026, the public comment period for the updated Beef Cattle Code of Practice will open for 60 days.
The public comment period is an opportunity for anyone who has an interest in how beef cattle are raised in Canada, including consumers, veterinarians, foodservice professionals, and producers, to review the draft content and share feedback.
After the comment period closes, the feedback will be compiled and reviewed by the Code Committee. A report summarizing the feedback and outlining how it was considered will also be shared.
The finalized Code is expected to be released in 2027.
How to Comment on the Draft Beef Cattle Code of Practice
On Monday, April 13th, visit the National Farm Animal Care Council website to review the draft Code and submit comments up until June 12th.
In consultation with feedback from our Cow-Calf and Feedlot Committees, BFO will review and submit comments prior to the deadline, and we encourage individual producers to submit their own as well.
Producer input is needed to help reflect the broad diversity in which beef cattle are raised in Canada. The Code is an important tool for communicating how beef cattle are raised in Canada. The more producers who review the draft Code the more certain we can be that the final Code will represent how cattle are raised across Canada.
JOIN A WEBINAR TO LEARN MORE
Beef Code of Practice Update: What Producers Need to Know and How to Participate
To help producers learn more about the Code and how to participate, the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) will host a producer webinar on the Beef Cattle Code of Practice on Monday, April 13. We encourage producer attendance to learn about the Code, review the draft content and how it differs from the current Code, and learn how to provide feedback. Time will be set aside to answer producer questions. The webinar will be recorded and made available for those who are unable to attend.
Monday, April 13, 2026
2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET
REGISTER!