Wagyu Breeders Work to Ensure Integrity of Wagyu Beef

By Burt Rutherford

When consumers purchase Wagyu beef, how do they know it’s really Wagyu beef? That’s what Colorado State University (CSU) and the American Wagyu Association want to ensure.

“You can go into a lot of restaurants and a lot of retail stores around the world and find ‘Wagyu beef,’” according to Dr. Keith Belk, head of the CSU Animal Sciences Department. “The question becomes, particularly for consumers who don’t really understand the roots of the breed, is it actually Wagyu beef?”

Speaking at the 2021 annual conference of the American Wagyu Association in Fort Collins, Colo., Belk told Wagyu breeders of an effort underway with USDA to develop a voluntary specification and certification program for Wagyu beef. “This will allow U.S. producers to protect the quality attributes that are tied to true Wagyu genetics as they move into marketing platforms in retail and foodservice,” Belk said.

Drivers of Change

Wagyu breeders are enjoying a rapidly growing consumer base as more and more people discover the unique quality and taste of Wagyu beef. That means, according to Dr. James Pritchett, dean of the College of Agriculture at CSU, it’s important to understand the drivers of change, those things that fundamentally alter relationships in the industry.

“The first thing I think about is a growing population across the world,” he told Wagyu breeders. “And even more importantly, incomes are growing at the same time. When folks become wealthier, what does that mean for the demand for your product? It goes up.”

Over time, that increasing wealth and beef demand prompts consumer preferences to evolve, he said. So, another driver of change in the beef business is that the food industry in the United States and around the world is becoming more demanding in what they require from beef producers in terms of the type of production and the types of information consumers require.

For beef producers to be more successful, he told Wagyu breeders, the U.S. beef industry must drive that change and be at the forefront of transparently providing the information that consumers want.

Then there’s technology. “The types of technology you’re using—whether that be in your production practices, whether that be in how you gather information and make management decisions, whether that be in your marketing—has truly revolutionized the types of things you do,” Pritchett said.

“One of the things that helps this association are some of the types of technologies that allow you to communicate, to touch more and to tell your story.”

What about government? Good or bad, it’s a fundamental driver of change in the beef business, he told Wagyu breeders.

“Government drives a fair bit of change when it invests in research. Government can be really good when it does export enhancement and helps build relationships, especially international relationships and in setting standards that become important for us,” he said.

There are also challenges when it comes to the government. And that, too, can be a fundamental driver of change. “Don’t be a bystander as part of that driver of change,” he challenged Wagyu breeders.

Finally, there’s climate change. “That makes it important for the industry to talk about how to be resilient when things are changing in our climate, because that will be a fundamental driver of change,” he said.

“We can think about adapting our rangelands. We can think about improving soil health. We can think about changing our management practices and even the genetics of the animals. But we have to be cognizant of the drivers of change.”

For more information about Wagyu cattle and Wagyu beef, go to www.wagyu.org.

Entries for North American International Livestock Show

Attached is the sign-up form for the Wagyu Show in Kentucky, North American Intentional Livestock Expo (NAILE). This year our show will be on November 17, 2021 at the Broadbent Arena at the Louisville, Kentucky Exposition Center.

Also attached are the Wagyu pages from the premium book with the classes listed. Deadline for registration is November 1, 2021.

Please fill out the entry form attached and send it in via email to office@wagyu.org as soon as possible. If you have any questions at all please contact Martha at the office. 208-262-8100.

Parking fees and Exhibitor passes will be addressed in a later email. We look forward to seeing you there.

Helpful Links

Stockmanship & Stewardship
Beef Quality Assurance
Beef Improvement Federation
Masters of Beef Advocacy
National Education Center for Agricultural Safety
Beef Cattle Community
eBEEF

Advertise with the AWA
The American Wagyu Association offers many ways members can advertise their genetics and products through AWA services. These include Face Book, Premium Advertising Page, eBlasts, Classifieds, the Annual Breeders Guide and other opportunities. Contact the AWA office for more information or visit wagyu.org/members/advertising-services

Robert Williams, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Contact us at office@wagyu.org for any advertising inquires.
Visit us at wagyu.org for more information about the Wagyu breed.