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.
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.
Beef Quality Assurance is better for cattle, better for ranchers, and better for people who appreciate beef’s place in a healthy, sustainable diet. To earn BQA certification, beef farmers and ranchers 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. A BQA advisory group is made up of farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, cattle nutritionists, animal and meat scientists, animal welfare experts and industry stakeholders to evaluate and make recommended changes or updates to the program as needed. BQA certification should be renewed every three years.
To earn your BQA certificate, or to renew your certification, head to bqa.org.
