| - Mandatory
country of origin labeling passed both the House and Senate, and was included
in the 2002 farm bill, which President Bush signed into law May 13, 2002.
-
On July 14, 2003, the House of Representatives voted against legislation that
would have upheld country of origin labels (COOL) for meat and livestock.
- Please
contact your U.S. Representative and Senators to urge them to support the Country
of Origin Labeling Provisions of the 2002 Farm Bill!
On
July 14, 2003, the House rejected by a 15-vote margin an amendment to the fiscal
year 2004 agriculture appropriations bill that would protect implementation funding
for mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef, pork, lamb and fish. Without
the amendment, the House bill essentially prevents the U.S. Department of Agriculture
from implementing meat labeling by the September 30, 2004 deadline. Mandatory
country of origin labeling passed both the House and Senate, and was included
in the 2002 farm bill, which President Bush signed into law May 13, 2002. Click
here to review the 2002 Farm Bill provisions on COOL Pursuant to provisions
of the Farm Bill supermarkets and retail grocery stores are required to provide
the country-of-origin information to customers of covered commodities -- fresh
and frozen fruits and vegetables, red meats, seafood and peanuts -- on a label,
stamp, mark, placard or other clear and visible sign beginning September 30, 2004.
On October 11, 2002, USDA published voluntary COOL guidelines. Click
here to read USDA's COOL guidelines. Many
farmers and rancher are disappointed by the House decision. Our nation's farmers
and ranchers produce the best commodities in the world, and they should be able
to differentiate their products from those of countries that may have disease
or food safety concerns. America's consumers and trading partners are concerned
about the origin of our meat, especially after the recent "mad cow" case in Canada.
COOL allows consumers to know they are buying high quality U.S. products and provides
them with the necessary information to make informed food purchases. Also,
it is not sound public policy to amend a law in the appropriations process before
it is even implemented. Any concerns about the COOL law could be remedied during
USDA's rule-making process. Instead
of weakening this important legislation, lawmakers should work with USDA to make
sure COOL is implemented in a producer-friendly manner. National
Grange's policy on the country of origin labeling is as follows:
We specifically recommend
that all imported products be labeled with the name of the country of origin until
the consumer purchases it. Action
Plan --- Please contact your U.S. Representative and Senators to urge them
to support the Country of Origin Labeling Provisions of the 2002 Farm Bill! Contact
information for U.S. House Representative
Contact
information for U.S. Senators
| Sample
Letter |
|
Dear
Representative/Senator ___________:
I'm
writing to you to urge you to support the Country of Origin Labeling Provisions
of the 2002 Farm Bill. U.S. farmers and ranchers are the best producers in the
world in terms of quality and safety. U.S. consumers want and deserve to know
the origin of the foods they buy. Please make sure Country of Origin Labeling
is implemented in a producer-friendly manner by working with USDA. Thank you for
your support for our nation's farmers and ranchers. Sincerely, (Name)__________________________ (Grange/Grange
name and number) __________________________
| |
If you have any
questions or comments please contact Legislative Research Analyst Chil-Sook
Hwang by fax: 202-347-1091 or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109. Thank you
for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative program.
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