Montana Cattlemen’s Association signs onto letter to Senate to pass the American Beef Labeling Act of 2021
December 9, 2021
Dear Members of the United States Senate:
We, the hundreds of undersigned organizations, businesses, and individuals, urge you to cosponsor and immediately pass the American Beef Labeling Act of 2021 (S.2716), which reinstates mandatory country-of-origin labeling (M-COOL) for beef.
The American Beef Labeling Act (S.2716) addresses World Trade Organization (WTO)concerns regarding M-COOL by directing the United States Trade Representative and Secretary of Agriculture to determine the means of implementing M-COOL for beef in a manner compliant with WTO rules. If such means are not implemented within 12 months following enactment, beef and ground beef will be reinstated in the M-COOL statute that currently covers numerous other food commodities, 7 U.S.C. 1638 et seq.
This legislation would promote a safe and affordable supply of wholesome beef for America’s consumers; a fairer, more competitive market for America’s cattle farmers and ranchers; and quality family-sustaining jobs for meat processing workers. Following Congress’ 2015 repeal of M-COOL for beef, retail beef prices have become disconnected from underlying cattle prices, with retail beef prices and cattle prices moving in opposite directions. For several years now, consumers have been paying record prices for beef at the grocery store while cattle producers continue receiving decade-old, depressed prices for their cattle. This disconnect raises concerns that a consolidated and uncompetitive beef packing industry is exploiting consumers, workers, and ranchers alike.
M-COOL for beef will help to subject beef packers’ control over the beef supply chain to competitive market forces. M-COOL will empower consumers to exercise choice in the grocery store by informing them of whether they are purchasing domestic beef or beef that is wholly or partially imported. By acting upon this information, consumers’ origin-related buying preferences will translate into demand signals for beef produced in a particular country. Market research indicates that America’s consumers are willing to pay more for beef harvested from cattle exclusively born and raised in the United States, and S.2716 will enable the domestic cattle and beef supply chains to be more responsive to changes in consumer demand.
M-COOL is good for meat processing workers and will stem the loss of good-paying jobs in the beef sector. Shrinking U.S. cattle harvests continue to eliminate middle class jobs within the U.S. beef sector. Without M-COOL, thousands of workers in the U.S. food industry will suffer from job losses, and a lowering of labor standards.
Many consumer goods in America as well as other food commodities like chicken, lamb, fish, fruits and vegetables, ginseng, peanuts, and other nuts have long been required to be labeled as to their origin, and domestic and foreign producers and manufacturers alike have long been empowered to win the consumers’ favor for those goods that they produce and manufacture in their respective country. There is no reason to exclude beef from origin labeling requirements, and the current rules, which allow meatpackers to label as “Product of the USA” beef that is imported and repackaged at a U.S. processing facility, are indefensible. American consumers deserve the right to choose, American cattle farmers and ranchers deserve the right to compete for the consumers’ favor in their domestic market, and meat processing workers deserve quality jobs.
Please become a co-sponsor of the American Beef Labeling Act of 2021 (S.2716) and please encourage its enactment as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Organizational Signers
A Greener World
American Agriculture Movement
American Grassfed Association
Arkansas Retired Military Association
Be the Change Coalition
Blackfeet Nation Stock Growers Association
Border Bumpers 4-H Club
Brouphy Road District
Buckeye Quality Beef Association
Bull Mountain Land Alliance
Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform
Cattle Producers of Louisiana
Center for Food Safety
Central Montana Resource Council
Central School Vol. Fire Dept.
Coalition for a Prosperous America
Coalition to Govern America
Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association
Colorado Land Water & Food All
Colorado Land, Water & Food Alliance
Consumer Federation of America
Consumer Reports
Consumers for fair pricing
Cuero Young Farmers Association
Dakota Resource Council
Dakota Rural Action
Dickey County
Family Farm Defenders
Farm Aid
Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Food & Water Watch
Food Animal Concerns Trust
Government Accountability Project Food Integrity Campaign
Gregory County Farmers Union
Gregory County Prairie Patriots
Gregory Horizons Community Development Corporation
Harney County Stockgrowers
Health Care Without Harm
Hometown Credit Union
IBEW Local Union 246
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
Independent Beef Assoc of North Dakota
Independent cattlemen of Missouri
Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Iowa Livestock Auction Markets Association
Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
Kansas Cattlemen’s Association
Label it now
Lovell Township
MACNY – The Manufacturers Association of CNY
Made in America Again Action, Inc.
Michigan Farmers Union
Mid Michigan Livestock Network
Missouri Rural Crisis Center
Montana Cattlemen’s Association
National Family Farm Coalition
National Farmers Organization
National Farmers Union
National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics
North Dakota Farmers Union
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northern Plains Resource Council
Oklahoma Independent Stockgrowers Association
Organization for Competitive Markets
Ozarks Citizens Alliance
Perkins County
Pleasant Valley township
Powder River Basin Resource Council
Public Citizen
Public Justice Food Project
Pueblo County Ranchers Association
R-CALF USA
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
Rosebud Protective Association
Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA)
Socially Responsible Agriculture Project
South Dakota Citizens for Liberty
SOUTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION
South Dakota Livestock Marketers Association
South Dakota Stockgrowers Association
Southern Colorado Livestock Association
True Texas Project PAC
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
Upper Ohio Valley Building & Construction Trades Council
USCA
Western Colorado Alliance
Western Organization of Resource Councils
Women Involved in Farm Economics
Business and Farm/Ranch Signers
1/2 Diamond Ranch
6D Cattle
7G Ranch
7G Ranch
Ag West Feeds Inc.
Alapahabluff Livestock
Alexander Farms
Alme Farm And Ranch
Almo C&H grazing
Anichini
– Moore Ranch & Farm
ARIZONA CUSTOM IRON
B 4 Cattle
Bangma Farms
Bar 13 Ranch
Bayou Born BBQ
Big Loop Cattle Company
Bowlin Cattle Company
Box Farms
Braaten Ranch
Brown Farm &Ranch
Burrell Farms
Buzzard Charolais, LLC
Cain cattle
Carter Cows LLC
Cathey Cattle Company
Cedar Cliff Farm
Chain Ranch Inc
Circle P Cattle
Clapper Farms
Coble Ranch Inc.
Cold Creek Ranch
Coney Island restaurant
Consumer’s Federal Credit Union
Cook Land and Company, LLC
Cornerstone Ranch
Covered-L Farm, LLC
Creighton Livestock Market
Cross S Ranch
D Lazy T Ranch
DAM Ammo Co
Damm Bros Inc
Dan Brown
Day Herefords
DeBord Ranch
Diamond J Cattle CO
Diamond W Red Angus
Dillard Farms
Dinklage Interprises
Dinklage Ranch
Doll’s Dairy Inc DrStewart Ranch
DS Cattle LLC
Dumback Farms
Dunbar Creek Ranch
ECO Supplies and Services LLC
Edney Family Cattle Operation
Engebretson farm
Ernsting farm
Fancher Cattle company
Farris Ranching Company
Fazzi Agriculture Inc.
Feed Mix
Ferguson Farms
Ferme, Ltd.
Flying U Ranch LLC
Fontenot Beef
FOX HOLE RANCH
Gesinger Ranch
Gonsoulin Land and Cattle
Grand Homes Florida Realty and Management
Grassburger
Guggenmos River Ranch LTD
H2O TRUCKING,LLC
Hall Farms
Happiness Farms Inc
Hardesty Farms
Harris Land and Cattle LLC
Hatcreek Beef
Hawks Rest Ranch
Heart Of The Heart Ranch
Hennen Farm
Hilyard Farm
Holland Cattle
Holste Tripleh Farm
Holton Meadows Cattle & Meats LLC
Hometown Credit Union
Horst Mountain Properties
Hyde Farms
J BAr C
J&L Cattle Co LLC
J&M Cattle Inc.
J.H.B. Cattle Co.
J4 Cattle Company
JADE Farms
Jaeger Land & Cattle LLC
JBJ Livestock
Jeff Daugherty
JF Ranch
JH CATTLE
John Mehlhoff Ranch
Jr. Solomon Farms
JT Cattle Company
Keaton Cattle Company
Kemna Farms
KenMar Angus
Kenzy Backgrounding LLC
Kingdom Cattle
KOMA Cattle Co
Kulm Family Ranch
Landon Vetter
Lawinger Livestock Company
Lazy A Ranch
Lazy D Farms
Lazy J Feeders
Lazy JM Ranch
lifetime product industries
Lindberg Ranch
LOWNDES FARM SUPPLY INC.
Lytle Ranches
M Chacon Cattle Co
Madsen Cattle Company
Mae Properties
Makelky Ranch
Mark kraft
Martin Grain Farms Red Angus Ranch
Mashek Food Center
Mastel Ranch
MasterLube
Matt & Jenny Eggert
Matthews Farms
MC Ranch
McCormick Cattle Company
McFarland Livestock Co. Inc.
Miles Ranch
MiPonderosa,LLC
Mitchell Equipment
Mitchell Ranch
ML Cattle
ML Cattle
MoJo Farms
Montana Branded Inc.
MVM
Naneum Farms
nelson ranch
Nickel Heritage Farm
Nielson Ranch Co
NorCal Kangen
Odell Ranching
OH-KY ADC of BAC
Omega cattle and curs
One Wing Ranch
Ovadia Heart Health LLC
Panse Greenhouses
Parsons Ranch
Pasa Chiropractic Center
Pelster family ranch
Perham Stockyards, Inc
Platte Livestock Market
PPM
Presho Livestock
ProjektFlow, LLC
Queen Farm
Queen of Clubs
Raggio Cattle
Reed farms
Reedsridge Beef
Revere Copper Products, Inc.
RK Cattle Company
RKCattle Company
Roan Creek Ranch
Robie Ranch
Rockin R Hats
Rolling W Farm
Rosebud Farmers Union Cooperative
Round Barn Farm
Rugby Livestock LLC
Rusk Ranches LTD
San Lucas Ranch
Sanders Ranch
Schaeffer Beef, LLC
Sebago Sonography, Inc.
Seed of Hope Farm
Sellin Farms
Sheridan Animal Hospital
Signal Bluff Ranch
Snappy leather works
South Texas Weddings
Splendor Farm
SSJ Ranch
Steel Ranch
Stephens Ranch
Stickles Angus
Straka Ranch
Stroh Cattle
Sullivan cattle
Sunnyside Ranch
Sweet Water Farms LLC
Tavern Creek Gelbvieh, LLC
Tenn Texas LLC
That Ain’t Write
Tilton Farms
Tinant Ranch
Todd Ranch
Tornes cattle company
Tower Hills Ranch
Travis and Teresa Neugebauer
Triangle 7 Cattle Co.
Triple O Cattle Co.
Trish Leone co owner Peak View Ranch
Twombly Cattle Co.
Van Horn Ranch
Van Roekel cattle co
Vess Excavating, Ltd.
Victorian Summit Vineyards
A. BLACKWELL RANCHES, LLC
Western Sky Patio Covers Inc.
Williams Cattle
Work Horse Farm Rescue and Exotics
Wright Bros
ZX land and Cattle
Individual Signers
Alison Montgomery
Arthur Barry Hess
Bobbie Mitchell
Brandon M Jones
Brenda Book
V. Mc Daniel
Carol Hendrickson
Carol Young
Cathy Haines
Chad Schlaepfer
Chad Taylor
Chesna and Joel Smith
Cindy Beard
Craig Vernieu
David Henderson
Dawn Winkler
Del & Holly Reimers
Diane Chavez
Gary Williams
George Regas
Gerald W. Sradler
Jake Gordanier
Jamie Fine
JANE ANN STEEL KELLY
Janelle Nelson
JASON BIVENS
Jay J Sustik
Jay Larson
Jesse James Hammond
Joette Schalla
John Blackwell
John G Boylan
Judith Mosteller
Julie Clifton
Katherine Heichler
Keely Dietrick
Ken Whitmore
Kenneth Paxton
Kenneth Paxton
Thompson
Les Sears
Lorrie Sawaie
Lynn Melton
Marilyn K Lau
Martin Lakey
Marty Neugebauer
Mary D’Arco
Michael Green
Michelle Engel
Nicholas E Woyak
Patrick Long
Phil Mueller
Rex Harold Eagan
Robert J Sanders
Robert Kelsey
Roger Collier
Ron Papa
Scott Kinnamon
Shawn Boutwell
Sue Thomas
Susan Wacker
Susie Thomas
Terry Bruner
Tom Kilgore
Troy Dillard
Twila A. Taylor
Vicki Bryant
Wade Fox
Wanda Furrow
Wayne Rundall
Wendelyn Geiger
Wes Sibert
