NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The United States’ leading beef producer group continues to support a voluntary rather than mandatory country-of-origin food labelling law.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association passed a resolution at its recent convention in Nashville that calls on the organization to work with Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that a country-of-origin
labelling program will provide maximum benefits and minimal market disruptions to the U.S. beef industry.
Bill Donald of Montana, who sponsored the resolution, said NCBA staff needs to participate in the development of country-of-origin labelling so that the industry receives the most benefit from it.
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During discussions at the NCBA international markets committee, producers raised concerns that a Congress controlled by Democrats could push COOL through even though beef producers object to labelling exemptions for poultry and food service products.
Other producers were concerned that if the law makes labelling mandatory, the NCBA’s rival,
R-CALF, would take credit and continue to build more grassroots support.
Brad Wildeman, vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, told the convention that U.S. producers may not fully understand the implications of pushing for mandatory labelling because they don’t realize the level of trade that the U.S. conducts with Canada and Mexico.
“When they seek country of origin, they look at it from a local level.”
He said part of the problem is an assumption that imports depress market prices. The reality, he added, is that exports increase to the U.S. when prices are high.
The law is scheduled to come into effect in September 2008, but so far it has failed to receive government funding for implementation. Without national identification and other traceback programs, Wildeman suggested the country may not be ready in time.
“There are a lot of issues to get through before they get to the bottom of this,” he said.
Canada supports the NCBA’s policy of a voluntary and market driven labeling program.
“We are concerned if they put it in to create more regulatory issues and it costs more and creates confusion,” he said.
Many countries favour country-of-origin labeling, but at the end of the day consumers tend to buy according to price.
