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Dear Farm Bill Conferee:

The undersigned 98 farm, ranch, consumer, rural, labor and faith-based Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) advocates urge the 2014 Farm Bill conference to reject any changes to the final country of origin labeling rules that do not provide consumers with additional and more accurate information about the source of their food. Consumers and farmers overwhelmingly support the implementation of these commonsense rules.

The final country-of-origin labeling rules for meat products went into effect in May of 2013 and were the product of literally more than a decade of advocacy by farmer, rancher, rural, faithbased and consumer organizations across the country. The powerful meatpacker and poultry industry lobby have tried to delay and derail these rules since they were first included in the 2002 Farm Bill and again in the 2008 Farm Bill.

These final rules provide clear information to consumers that balances the small cost of implementation (which even using the inflated industry cost figures amounts to less than 1¢ per pound of pork or beef processed at American plants). The final rules are in line with the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body report. In contrast, the purported amendment to COOL would significantly erode the quality of information disclosed to consumers while maintaining the current cost of segregating livestock.

The proposal floated the week of January 13th would replace the production-step labeling that delineates where an animal was born, raised and slaughtered with either a “product of USA” or “product of North America” label. This labeling scheme fails to remedy the critique of the WTO dispute panels because it would perpetuate consumer deception, as the United States is part of North America, and would still require meatpackers to keep all-American born and raised livestock separate from livestock born and/or raised in Canada or Mexico. This North American or NAFTA-meat label is entirely unacceptable and many COOL advocates would oppose a farm bill that contained this language. Now is not the time to roll back the country of origin labeling provisions behind the closed doors of the conference process. Any changes to country of origin labeling should occur in full view of the American public with ample debate and recorded votes.

Sincerely,

 

Agricultural Missions, Inc. (NY)

American Agriculture Movement

American Federation of Government Employees (AFLCIO),

Local 3354, USDA-St. Louis

Berks (PA) Gas Truth

Buckeye Quality Beef Association (OH)

Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform

Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (NC)

Cattle Producers of Louisiana

Cattle Producers of Washington

Center for Earth Spirituality and Rural Ministry (MN)

Center for Media and Democracy’s Food Rights Network

Center for Rural Affairs

Central Co-op (WA)

Chicago Consumer Coalition

Church Women United of New York State

Citizen Action Coalition of Indiana

CJD Foundation

Coalition for a Prosperous America

Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association

Community Farm Alliance (KY)

Community Food and Justice Coalition (CA)

Consumer Assistance Council, Inc.

Consumer Federation of America

Consumer Federation of California

Consumer Federation of the Southeast

Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias

Cornucopia Institute

Dakota Resource Council

Dakota Rural Action

East New York Farms!/United Community Centers

Ecological Farming Association (CA)

Endangered Habitats League (CA)

Fair World Project

Family Farm Defenders (WI)

Farm Aid

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc.

Food & Water Watch

Food Chain Workers Alliance

Food Democracy Now!

Grassroots International

Hmong National Development, Inc.

Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND)

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska

Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Intertribal Agriculture Council

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement

Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (MD)

Kansas Cattlemen’s Association

Land Stewardship Project (MN)

Massey Road Producers, Dubuqe County (IA)

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (WI)

Michigan Land Trustees

Midwest Organic Dairy Producers Association

Missouri Farmers Union

Missouri Rural Crisis Center

Missouri’s Best Beef Co-Operative

Murray County, Oklahoma Independent Cattlemen’s

Association

National Consumers League

National Family Farm Coalition

National Farmers Organization

National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association

Nevada Live Stock Association

New Entry Sustainable Farming Project

Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. – CT

Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. – NY

Northeast Organic Farming Association, Interstate

Council (NOFA-IC)

Northern Plains Resource Council (MT)

Northern Wisconsin Beef Producers

Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (MA)

Northwest Farm Bill Action Group

Oglala Sioux Livestock and Land Owners Association

(SD)

Oregon Rural Action

Organic Consumers Association

Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing

(OFARM)

Organic Seed Alliance

Organization for Competitive Markets

Other Worlds (LA)

Peach Bottom Concerned Citizens Group (PBCCG) (PA)

Pesticide Action Network North America

Powder River Basin Resource Council (WY)

Progressive Agriculture Organization (PA)

Public Citizen

R-CALF USA

Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA

(RAFI-USA)

Rural Coalition/Coalicion Rural

South Dakota Stockgrowers Association

Sustain LA

Virginia Association for Biological Farming

Virginia Citizens Consumer Council

Western Colorado Congress

Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC)

Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group

WhyHunger