In This Issue:
Court stops sales, planting of genetically engineered alfalfa
Healthy markets lead to healthy communities
House, Senate block liquid coal subsidies
Latest mad cow problems show need for labeling
Legislation would protect landowners
Legislatures move oil and gas reform bills
Legislature, livestock and trade
Holding animal factories accountable
House renewable energy bill introduced
WORC develops biofuel recommendations
Latest
mad cow problems show need for labeling
Tainted feed leads to quarantine of about 8,000
animals in Saskatchewan
On Feb. 9, Canadian officials confirmed the ninth case of mad cow disease
in Canada. Less than one month later, on March 1, officials quarantined
two dairy farms and five cattle ranches in Saskatchewan, involving about
8,000 animals, for tainted feed. The feed contained ruminant meat and bone
meal, which Canada banned from cattle feed in 1997 to protect against the
spread of mad cow disease. “What has happened in Canada shows the need to maintain protections for U.S. consumers and cattle markets and the need to label meat by country of origin,” said Mabel Dobbs, a rancher from Weiser, Idaho and chair of WORC’s Livestock Committee.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a proposed rule to allow Canadian cattle over 30 months of age to enter this country. Currently, live cattle under 30 months of age and boxed beef move freely from Canada into the U.S.
“Clearly, Canada still faces a challenge in handling feed contamination issues that may contribute to mad cow disease,” Dobbs said. “USDA must act now to protect U.S. cattle producers and to give consumers information about the origin of the meat they buy.”
“USDA should close the Canadian border to all Canadian meat and live cattle until at least two conditions are met.
“First, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency must have a policy in place that can assure us there can be no mix-up or cross contamination of any feed sources for cattle.
“Second, Congress and USDA must immediately implement country-of-origin labeling of all meat.”
Country-of-origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and shellfish was passed in the 2002 Farm Bill. Mandatory labeling of fish and shellfish was implemented by USDA in 2005, but implementation for all other commodities has been stymied by meatpackers and retailers who rely on cheap imports of meats for a major source of profits. These multi-national corporations have convinced the Agriculture Appropriations Committees in Congress to withhold the funding for labeling and have moved implementation back to September of 2008.
HR 357, introduced by Rep. Rehberg (MT), and S. 404, introduced by Sen. Thomas (WY), would move the implementation of country-of-origin labeling up to September 2007. HR 357 is co-sponsored by Representatives Herseth (SD) and Cubin (WY). S. 404 is co-sponsored by Senators Baucus (MT), Thune (SD), Grassley (IA),Tester (MT), Bingaman (NM), Dorgan (ND), Enzi (WY) and Conrad (ND).
Thank these Senators and Representatives for standing up for country-of-origin labeling. If your Senator or Representative is not on this list of co-sponsors, it’s not too late. Call them and tell them that you want them to co-sponsor this bill and work to move the implementation date of country of origin forward to September 2007.
“Now is not the time for the USDA to weaken protections for U.S. consumers and cattle producers,” Dobbs said. “Now is the time for Congress and USDA to implement mandatory country-of-origin labeling of meat.”