IBC2000-7 Plenary Sessions

The Bison Advantage...What Does It Mean?

Gavin Conacher, Executive Director
Canadian Bison Association
#200 - 1660 Pasqua St.
PO Box 3116
Regina  SK  Canada  S4B 3G7

The following article was originally presented at the International Bison Conference in Edmonton, Alberta in August 2000.  The conference covered a wide array of bison topics including production, marketing, genetics, history and much more.  This article has been reprinted with the permission of the IBC2000 Chairman.

The North American bison industry has much to tell environmentalists, the food industry, dieticians, tourists, cultural enthusiasts, and consumers at large. The bison advantage is the story and the future is the setting.

When Anglo-Europeans came to the North American plains they observed the bison advantage. An animal that well adapted to its environment, highly valued by the North American Indian, its products were nutritious and functional. We have since observed other advantages in controlled circumstances.

1)     1)  Everything about the North American plains is a challenge. Long distances, arid climate, inhospitable winds, wide temperature variations and generally restricted agricultural capacity. Bison see these limitations as home. Extensive grazing animals that have developed a rumen that will utilize a variety of grasses, can go long periods with little water, have learned to eat snow, have developed a thick hair coat to battle winds and cold and have a survival instinct second to none. We have also observed a highly variable metabolism developed over thousands of years to deal with the varying climatic conditions on the North American continent. Bison may not have an advantage over other livestock on other continents or other places in the world, but they certainly have ecological advantages here in North America. Bison are the largest terrestrial mammal on the North American continent for a reason.

Bison were meant to be in North America. There is no animal in traditional agriculture like it now nor will there be in the future. This advantage has developed over thousands of years and is corrected every year. Compared to breeding programs that are 300-500 years old, bison have perfected the ability to adapt and survive. This advantage will exist indefinitely or until gene manipulation changes these circumstances.

 2)      North American Indians lived with nature, on a diet of berries, roots, and game meats. At the center of the diet was the bison. The bison provided tools, shelter, building materials and most importantly food.

 It is a known fact that the North American Indian has suffered from diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular complications and other illnesses since becoming part of the New World and adopting the diet of late comers to North America. Increased sugar, fat and carbohydrate diets have affected the North American Indian in significant and detrimental ways. Although bison meat was part of a larger diet, we do know that bison has lower fat and cholesterol than other red meats. This observation is not dissimilar to other hunter-gathering diets in Australia, South America, Africa, and the Arctic. The North American Indian was almost solely dependent on wild animals, fish and other produce from the land and there was little evidence of heart disease, chronic illness and dental problems. Admittedly the life span was not was what it is today, but that is evident throughout history, all over the world, unless you are Moses.

The North American Indian as a group has the ability to market bison meat like none of us here. After all Pfizer did not sell Viagra, Viagra was sold by the people it affected and many others.

So you may ask where to from here. I believe that because of the cultural significance of the bison, the North American industry should move away from direct competition with any other traditional livestock product. After all, people that will consume bison in the future want to hear about the history, the intrigue, and the story not the fact that it is meat. They will first try the product because they know it was a staple for thousands of years and more importantly because of the image that the bison enjoys.

Steps in developing this break with traditional livestock marketing include things like a new grading system that uses Cree or Sioux in the grade names. Instead of a D1 grade, you will have “Old Cow” in Cree, and not A1 but “fat bull”. This could also go one step further in re-naming every cut on the bison. After all, does it not seem strange that there is a “New York Strip” on a bison? No other livestock enterprise is in a position to capitalize on this critical advantage.

The history of the bison will always be a part of its future. It is a big reason why people eat bison meat now and more importantly in the future. The industry has a competitive advantage that no other domestic livestock industry can be a part of - the part that I speak of is Canadian and North American culture.

3)      3)  The red meat industry has some challenges and opportunities ahead. Some of the challenges are more of a factor in some industries and less in others. Factors from food safety, market growth and ever-changing consumer preferences continue to challenge the livestock industry.

Increasingly today’s consumer is concerned with food borne illness. Many of the concerns are as a result of outbreaks of E. coli, listeria and salmonella. Extensive management practices decrease the incidence and transmission. Bison are raised in an extensive grazing system.  Bison thrive in that system and as a result, are at decreased risk of infections like E. coli. As the bison industry matures, it has come to realize the importance of food safety. Food safety programs include improved record keeping, water testing and other risks that pose a threat to animal health and food security. These proactive steps, combined with continual focus on using the immune system that bison have evolved, are key advantages from a food safety perspective.

Perhaps the most important aspect of bison meat itself is the taste. There is a distinct taste from that of beef, pork, chicken and lamb. The food industry has pushed production agriculture to reduce costs, and improve consistency, rather than preserve or improve quality. This is why we see the term “Range Fed Chicken”, “Hormone Free Beef”, and “Yard Hogs”. Agribusiness is concerned about tooling, consistency and volume. Consumers are increasingly concerned about taste, safety and wholesomeness. One of the reasons chicken consumption has increased like it has is due to its versatility. Agribusiness finds the product so versatile that it can be manipulated into just about every combination and permutation. But stand back, take broiled or grilled skinless chicken breast and put it into your mouth and what do you taste? I will let you answer that.

The animal rights movement, combined with food safety issues have caused an increase in the consumption of vegetable proteins. These consumers are typically younger. They are not necessarily herbivores but rather have developed a non-meat preference. Many members of the Canadian Bison Association have converted these people, by convincing them of a healthier protein, a happier animal, a free animal, and a clean image. If the bison industry is going to appeal to the younger audience, these are issues for the future. These consumers are concerned about poultry and chicken factories, and animals that stand in confined areas, deep in manure. This is an advantage to the bison industry as long as the image factor is managed properly.

The elk, deer, and wild boar industries share the future of the bison with respect to taste. Volume and consistency are important, but it has as much or more to do with taste, food safety and most importantly image. These are products that are new to the consumer, have a distinctly different taste, and large potential markets and most importantly a clean image to uphold. We must all be cognizant of this and do what we must to preserve this image. If we are able to uphold these principles as an industry, the bison has a bright future in the eyes and minds of the consumer.

 4)      Bison meat has a distinct advantage in terms of its nutritional profile. Many of you are familiar with the studies that have been conducted by the USDA and more recently Dr. Marchello about which you will hear more at this conference. However, we must be careful to not let the consumer down. In other words, we cannot say bison has 10% the fat that beef does. This will come back and haunt us all. The consumer does not want snake oil. The consumer wants the truth and will demand scientific evidence to support that truth. Besides there is no need to build the bison up bigger than it is, it is already got the distinct nutritional advantage.

 I believe that there will be claims that will go beyond the simple nutritional profile of bison meat as it relates to other proteins. The Chinese have made claims like reduction in arthritis, improved athletic performance, and increased sexual arousal when consuming elk antler. To make any claim about any drug or food product is profound to the consumer. Recent science to support other findings include the consumption of soluble oat bran and reduction in LDL cholesterol, the consumption of flax and decreased incidence of inflammatory disorders and heart disease; and links between cranberry juice and reductions in bladder and urinary tract infections. All of these claims take time and money to prove. The experience of North American Indians with bison meat and its powers has led to similar claims. Claims have been made of reduced diabetes; claims of reduced heart problems and cardiovascular disease to name a few. Some of this work is at very early stages, but can you imagine the demand for the product if some day the bison industry can claim that bison meat is a smarter choice for people suffering from diabetes. There are 1/17 people affected by diabetes in North America.  This translates into 18 million people or consumers.

The combination of environment and genetics make up a person’s resistance or lack of resistance to disease. While researchers look desperately for the medical cure, food companies chip away at the holistic diet and its attributes. The question is: would you like to take one more pill or include a cure in your diet? Claims of game meats and their effects on the human body have yet to be proven out.

An entire volume of knowledge is slowly accumulating that would re-affirm the notion of diet; fat and what will lead to a healthier lifestyle. A recent book by Ray Audette outlines this theory.

The book has started to influence the medical community and dieticians all over North America. Mr. Audette prescribes a Palaeolithic diet to readers. He simply says, “anything that is milled, re-processed, pasteurized, or altered from nature, he would not eat it”. He also recognizes the value of increased consumption of “game meats” and nature’s products. Bison is one of the products. Mr. Audette started his quest for the ideal diet when diagnosed with diabetes. Audette has since overcome his condition and cured many others as well.

Rightly or wrongly, I believe that Mr. Audette is on to a new way of thinking. And I also believe that we have many secrets to uncover about bison and its application in human health and preventative maintenance.

5)     5)   Perhaps the most crucial element to the bison advantage is the people involved in the industry. You people are here because you believe, you are here because you know, you are here because you are risk takers and you are here because you are early adopters. In a products lifecycle, there is an Introduction (late 1960’s in the case of the bison industry), Growth (1970 to current), Maturity (future) and Decline (future). In the introductory stages the growth is slow, the product is limited in supply and differentiation, and other limitations include a lack of education, information and competition. Later in the development stages the product finds a high level of growth, where all stock is held back for breeding, competition is increasing, product is differentiating and marketers begin to stress competitive advantages like the nutritional aspects of bison over other meats and may include better product distribution. Later stages of development include brand loyalty, maximum distribution and many competitors. Based on my observations, the bison industry is somewhere between the introductory stage and the growth stage of development and you people are in the midst of it.

People often ask me, “When do I think the bison bubble is going to burst like the ostrich did?” My answer is “When we let it”. Generally speaking there is a very poor understanding of the product, the industry and its future. It is a monumental task to keep telling the same story over and over, but that is what is required. One consumer, one new mind at a time and slowly but surely we will overcome the biggest threat to the industry, the lack of awareness. It is also an advantage; we are starting with a product that has no history in the mouths of the last four generations of consumers.

The people involved in the bison industry understand the bison advantage. They live the bison advantage and they tell others about it. Your beliefs influence everyone you talk to - shine through in every question you answer. Confidence and belief are two very powerful influences over people, their preferences, and their perceptions. I do not believe that I have ever seen a bison producer leave a conversation with without leaving an incredible influence over them and their feelings about bison meat. This is perhaps one of the biggest bison advantages that there is.

I am often bewildered by the cohesion, volunteerism, concern, proactive thought, and acts of unselfishness for the betterment of the bison industry. You people are why the bison industry is growing, why the bison industry is gaining attention across North America and why the bison industry will succeed in the future. You are a group of early adopters and pioneers that will teach some, assist some and influence many.

 6)      People in general will never let us forget the past. The bison has a distinct advantage in the North American plains. Short of a catastrophe or long-term weather changes, this is an advantage that is 1000s of years old and will continue into the future. This creature has cultural significance to a growing number of North American Indians. The bison is a survivor and a one of the continental icons in North America.

 The commercial interests in the bison industry are a different story. The commercial interests of the bison story are in our hands. There are many advantages that have to be managed and maintained. Investments must be made in marketing, food safety, and ever improving quality standards. And perhaps the most significant advantage is the tallest order for the industry, mainly the image, the Canadiana, the Americana. This very factor must be managed on a producer level, processor level, in standards for the industry, and at retail.

 Conclusion

The bison advantage is many things to many people. Many understand it, many see it, and many want to know about it, and many more have to learn of it. As one of the key North American food products of the future, with environmental, cultural, yet nutritional benefits, you people lead a new way in thinking, eating and living. The bison is the most recognized North American product there is. It is a part of our culture, part of our past, and part of our future.

Bison will be consumed by the cultural enthusiast, the tourist, the environmentalist, and by the health conscious people looking to preventative maintenance and healthy lifestyles.

The bison advantage cannot reach its potential without investments in focused areas, attention to detail; proactive measures ensure its growth and a lot of time and effort. We will be the people who make this happen.

Thank you and good afternoon!