A Quest to Grow "Sustainable" Beef

November 4, 2009

Estancia Beef Furthers Commitment to Sustainable Grass Fed Beef, Hires Global Authority on Farm Assurance and Production Protocols
BusinessWire

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 04, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) - Estancia Beef, a leading U.S. retailer of grass-fed beef, today announced the appointment of Michelle Waterman to spearhead its European launch. Additionally, Waterman will assume responsibility for Estancia's farm assurance, production protocols and general codes of practice.

"Michelle is among the very most respected people in her field," said Bill Reed, Estancia's CEO. "She shares all of our core beliefs around prioritizing environmental, animal welfare, and human health concerns within our production standards."

Michelle started as an Animal Health Inspector for the UK government, which involved enforcement of UK legislation with respect to animal traceability, welfare and husbandry. She then began a long career with Tesco, the UK's biggest retailer, and was responsible for the production and sourcing of all meat, fish and poultry sold by the business. Michelle wrote and implemented Tesco's Livestock Codes of Practice (which cover welfare, food safety, traceability and environmental responsibility).

Under Michelle's guidance, Tesco implemented visionary and rigorous policies relating to livestock, such as the prohibition of genetically-modified feed, the banning of all non-stun slaughter methods, and the creation of "equivalent" standards of production in countries as far afield as Argentina, Brazil & Uruguay.

"Michelle's experience will lead us toward serious, sustainable solutions that are not currently part of industrial beef production in the US," noted JP Thieriot, Estancia's Chairman. "Mad Cow, Ecoli, superbugs, millions of tons of contaminated effluent, generally unhealthy beef - these are all industrial feedlot phenomena. These practices end up giving beef an unnecessary bad name, and generally perpetuate the unsustainable and maligned system we find with industrial beef producers. Cattle are probably the most promising source of clean 'big protein' out there. They're also the most important source of non-hydrocarbon derived fertilizer available. We have to go back to the integrated and eternally sustainable farm. It would be a three-for-one: clean, healthy food; less dependence on fossil fuels; more jobs in the countryside."

Waterman states, "I am delighted to be joining Estancia, a company which shares my beliefs and views on the way meat should be produced in the future and in the need for sharing information and reward throughout the supply chain, from farmer to consumer. My passion is the improvement of animal welfare, and allowing consumers to make informed choices about the consequences of their purchases. As the world's population grows, the way in which animals are farmed will come under growing scrutiny. I believe the systems Estancia seeks to promote and expand will be one of the only truly sustainable ways of consuming meat in the future."

Michelle currently lives 35 miles south of London, where she raises beef cattle, sheep, laying hens and agricultural crops.

About Estancia Beef

With ranches in the United States, Argentina, and Uruguay, Estancia Beef produces and provides the highest quality grass-fed beef available in the world. Estancia pledges to serve consumers the best tasting, healthiest, and most sustainable beef on the market; provide complete transparency from pasture to plate; and work closely with ranchers and every step of delivery.

www.estanciabeef.com

SOURCE: Estancia Beef



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