Any Labeling Program Must Result in Financial Benefit to Producers

Profits must end up in the pockets of cattle producers in order for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) to get behind a specific country of origin labeling program, an NCBA representative told participants of the R-Calf Summit on Thursday, Dec. 11. 

Jay Truitt, NCBA executive director for legislative affairs, told the group that NCBA first raised arguments for country of origin labeling in 1996, and continues to support the effort of U.S. cattle producers to establish a means for promoting their own born, raised and processed in the U.S. product.  Truitt presented to the group the NCBA Country of Origin Labeling Task Force’s recommendation for a voluntary program that would consist of a U.S. label providing value to the consumer and meeting the expectations of producers.  These producers want value from the program through differentiating their product with the USA label.

The NCBA Task Force, which represents all industry segments, met Dec. 9-10 in Denver, and a plan will be presented to cattlemen at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix, Jan. 28-31.

Truitt told Summit participants that finding ways around the current law does not meet requirements of producers who want a workable country of origin labeling plan.  “You don’t make mistakes in a law then try to fix them later,” he said. 

According to Truitt, it’s also disconcerting that R-Calf is aligning itself on this issue with environmental and special interest groups that do not have the best interests of the cattle industry at heart.  These include Public Citizen, the Consumer Federation of America, the Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club National Agriculture Committee.

Truitt also warned the group of extensive record keeping that the mandatory country of origin law would create.  “The Sierra Club Ag Committee should be against the law, because it would require the killing of a lot of trees to implement it,” Truitt says.

Instead, Truitt outlined a proposal recommended by the NCBA Country of Origin Labeling Task Force.  That plan would include pilot programs to be conducted under existing approved USDA programs.  The next steps, to take place in January, would be to identify existing programs that could be used as models, and then hold a meeting with other industry segments to review the task force recommendations and seek input and participation.

NCBA will ultimately use its pilot programs to determine how the industry will implement country of origin labeling for all segments of the beef marketing chain.  The efforts of the task force are being taken to meet expectations of producers and fulfill the directives approved by the NCBA Board of Directors.