Organic product - addition beef
Level: Advanced
Organic beef production includes allowing the animals to spend as much time as possible grazing outdoors. Feed must be largely produced on the farm itself, be free from GMOs and must be grown without the use of unnatural chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers. Contracting authorities that set the sustainability requirement at the advanced level for organic product - addition (beef) also contribute to the implementation of extra measures for improving animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
Details
- Type:
- Technical specification
- ID:
- 10235:2
- Group:
- Beef
- Swedish:
Criterion text
Products of beef must fulfil the criteria laid down in Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliment and of the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products, as well as the following requirements:
- Young bulls must be kept on pasture.
- All animals must spend at least two months outside in addition to the statutory grazing period of at least 60 days.
- The keeper works in accordance with a preventative healthcare plan and veterinary inspection upon any sign of poor animal health. Preventative medication, with the exception of vaccination, is not permitted.
- In addition to anaesthesia, all animals must be given pain relief.
Verification
Upon request the supplier shall be ready to present, for example, the following:
- Certification, along with appropriate labelling, such as KRAV or other certification showing that the requirement is met.
Proposed follow-up
Monitoring of compliance during the contract period can for example be done through sampling at one or several occasions of one or several products for which the criterion applies. The supplier can prove that the product(s) meet the requirement through, e.g,:
- Product labelling, such as KRAV labelling or other labelling.
- Other written documentation showing that the requirement is met.
Subject matter of contract
Products of beef with environmental and animal protection criteria
Information about the criterion
The sustainability rcriterion at the advanced level for organic product – supplementary (beef) means that, in addition to satisfying the EU-Organic regulations, there are even further-reaching requirements relating to animal welfare and the farm's environmental and climate efforts.
The regulations of the Swedish Board of Agriculture (see chapter 6, sections 4-7 of SJVFS (2019:18)) state the minimum number of days that animals must be kept on pasture or otherwise allowed to spend time outdoors during the summer. In northern Sweden, the minimum is 60 days; in central Sweden, 90 days; and in southern Sweden, it is 120 days.
The criterion limits market availability for individual products.
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 entered into force on 1 January 2022 and replaced Regulation (EC) 834/2007.
Environmental goals
Motive
Amongst other things, criteria for organic products contribute to the A Non-Toxic Environment Swedish environmental objective.
The added value of the advanced requirement for organic products means that, apart from organic production, special consideration must be taken with regards to animal welfare for specific aspects of their lives. For example, pain relief beyond the mandatory anaesthesia must be given during surgical procedures. Young bulls, i.e cattle of male sex from 6 months of age with the exception of bulls kept for breeding, must also be allowed to graze, and their outdoors period is longer, which provides added value from both an animal welfare and an environmental perspective. Extra grazing has a positive effect on biological diversity. Animal keepers must also take animal healthcare measures in accordance with a preventative healthcare and veterinary inspection plan which is an important measure for keeping the use of antibiotics at low levels.
Versions history
The version date indicates when the sustainability criterion was created or last updated. Last reviewed dated tells when we last checked that the sustainability criterion still is relevant.
- Current ID
- 10235:2
- Version date
- 2020-03-25
2020-03-25: Changed additional criteria: "During the pasturage period, cattle must be allowed to graze outside (requirement on feed intake) for most of the day" has ben changed to "All animals must spend at least two months outside in addition to the statutory grazing period of 60 at least days." Included grazing crterion for young bulls, plan for preventive health measures and analgesia during surgical procedures.