Ag Policy Blog

COOL Backers Point to Survey as New Label Rule Readied

Chris Clayton
By  Chris Clayton , DTN Ag Policy Editor
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As members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees seek to repeal mandatory country-of-origin labeling, backers tout a new survey from the Consumer Federation of America citing that 90% of Americans favor labeling the origin of meat.

The survey gave a needed injection of support to backers of country-of-origin labeling, or COOL. According to the CFA poll of 1,000 people, 87% favor, "strongly or somewhat" a label that would require retailers to label the country or country in which animals were born, raised and processed. Slightly more people backed a label that also noted the fact that the meat was processed in the U.S.

“The survey results are a further indication of what we have known for some time: Consumers overwhelmingly want to know more about the origins of their food, and farmers and ranchers want to provide this information,” said National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson. ”These findings, coupled with the recent withdrawal of two short-sighted amendments to the Senate and House’s respective farm bills that would have negatively impacted Country-of-Origin Labeling, are promising indications that country-of-origin labeling is vitally important and here to stay.”

COOL in the U.S. is in its 11th year of being perfected after originally passed into law with the 2002 farm bill. Funding freezes in Congress blocked implementation of the labeling rule. It wasn't until the 2008 farm bill was passed that USDA actually began the implement the law. Canada and Mexico sued in the WTO quickly after.

COOL will be in the news a great deal this week as USDA attempts to hit a Thursday deadline to rewrite its rule to meet a World Trade Organization deadline. If that happens, expect denunciations from Canada and Mexico, which brought the original case against the U.S. and still argue the new language proposed by the U.S. is unfair. Canada has threatened offer a list of U.S. products for retaliatory tariffs if the rule goes into effect.

The modified rule would require more information for muscle cuts on where each of the production steps --- born, raised and slaughtered --- occurred. For instance, a steer born in Canada, but raised and slaughtered in the U.S. would be labeled effectively in that manner, "Born in Canada, Raised and Slaughtered in the United States."

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For all domestic animals, the label would change from "Product of the U.S." to "Born, Raised and Slaughtered in the U.S."

Retailers also would be prevented from co-mingling muscle cuts from different countries in packaging. Currently, a label for multiple cuts of meat may state "Product of the United States, Mexico and Canada." Now, meat from animals from different countries will have to be segregated during processing to provide more accurate information.

In marking up their respective farm bills this past week, Republican members of both committees introduced amendments to eliminate mandatory COOL, only to withdraw them. It's likely amendments will come to the floor on COOL, particularly if the Canadians raise Cain over new USDA rule. Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., who was agriculture secretary when the Bush administration largely worked to delay or eliminate COOL, told fellow senators, "we have bitten off more than we can chew" with the COOL rewrite.

"The proposed solution from USDA would be more of a burden for everyone in the value chain," Johanns said.

Johanns also challenged the way the new proposal would prohibit co-mingling meat from livestock from different countries

"Talk about a regulatory nightmare," he said. Nonetheless, Johanns withdrew his proposed amendment in committee.

In the House, Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., introduced an amendment to eliminate COOL but withdrew it. Taking the time to speak against Scott's proposal was fellow GOP Rep. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, whose cattle ranchers largely back COOL.

The House bill includes language that would require USDA's Office of Chief Economist to conduct an economic analysis on the new rule within six month of the new farm bill being enacted.

Jon Wooster, president of the U.S. Cattlemen's Association, said the Consumer Federation of America study was released at a perfect time with the USDA deadline this week.

"It is proof that consumers not only want their meat labeled as to origin but they also approve of USDA's proposed resolutions. I urge individuals and groups to reference this survey as we move forward with issues surrounding COOL in the development of farm policy legislation," Wooster said. "As the 2013 Farm Bill proceeds in Congress, COOL opponents will seize any opportunity to undermine the program as already evidenced by the inclusion of marker language in the House version of the Farm Bill. This new consumer survey should put to rest any question about what consumers want. We thank CFA for undertaking this consumer poll."

The CFA survey results can be found here:

http://www.consumerfed.org/…

I can be found on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN

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Comments

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Jay Mcginnis
5/22/2013 | 6:05 AM CDT
No Ric,,, they should wear NASCAR like suits with their corporate sponsors written on them!
Ric Ohge
5/20/2013 | 3:06 PM CDT
A similar labeling program referencing origins of the entity and it's backing and resources should be considered for all Politicians, as well.
frederick jeffery
5/20/2013 | 2:20 PM CDT
some thoughts - guess we need to do the same with cars label where all the parts were made, assembled etc. so everyone is aware that they aren't buying a Us car but a car that has its parts imported and final assembly here. What about corn - lets see - fetilizer from ?, seed from south America, energy from ? grown in which state, processed ? Doesn't this all sound ridiculous - let the customer in the market place vote with his/her dollars and buy from those that will supply that information if it is desired. note the businesses if they are smart will supply what the customer wants. A far more reliable indictor of true desire for the additional inofrmation.