Just about anywhere, consumers can buy a product and look to seeing where it is made, clothing, fruit, appliances, but not always meat. What many U.S. cattle producers know is that information as to where fresh meat is born, raised, and processed, is not available to the U.S. consumer. It is a program that cattle producers have been trying to get implemented for over a decade.

Through the collaborative efforts of grass roots organizations, country of origin labeling (COOL) is scheduled to be implemented on November 23, 2013. With an opportunity to promote USA Beef and provide consumers with more information as to where their food comes from, U.S. cattle producers are hopeful that implementation of this program proceeds. However, with retaliatory threats and strong arming tactics by multi-national corporations and organizations and foreign governments, implementation of COOL could be at risk.

"NCBA, multi-national associations representing meat packers, and foreign cattle groups have filed a lawsuit to stop COOL. Even our friend to the north, Canada, has made verbal threats, all in an effort to deny the American people information about their food. These groups are powerful and have used their big money and power to aggressively lobby legislators as well. Kansas Cattlemen's Association (KCA) has heard that a number of senators and representatives who are working on the Farm Bill have indicated that they will work to modify or eliminate COOL all together. This is not good for U.S. cattlemen, and it is not right to do to U.S. consumers. The U.S. provides the most wholesome, safest product. That starts with how that animal is raised. U.S. producers maintain standards above all others. The U.S. has animal welfare and handling practices including the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program that provides producers with up-to-date standards and technologies to improve animal welfare and food safety and provides consumers with the peace of mind and confidence in the product they feed to their families," stated KCA Executive Director Brandy Carter.

With COOL implementation looming, consumers and producers still have the opportunity to help the COOL move forward.

Legislatively: It is important for Congress to allow COOL to be implemented and not allow corporate interests to supersede consumer interests. Consumers and producers alike are encouraged to contact their legislators and ask them to reject any attempt to modify or eliminate COOL.

Representatives can be reached at www.house.gov/representatives/

Senators can be reached at www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

It is particularly important to contact legislators that are part of the Farm Bill conferees as the Farm Bill is likely to hold COOL changes, if any occur. Farm Bill conferees are as follows:

House Conferees: Chairman Frank D. Lucas (R-Okla.), Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas), Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga), Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.), Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.); Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.). Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), Rep. Jim Costa Calif.), Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash), Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Calif.), and Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas); Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio).

Senate Conferees: Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Max Baucus (D-MT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO). Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), John Boozman (R-AR), John Hoeven (R-ND)

Promotion: KCA has implemented a program to continue its efforts to promote USA Beef. The USA Beef Promotion Program raises money to support the implementation of COOL and to place billboards along major travel routes encouraging folks to eat USA Beef. KCA raises money through donations and through the sale of KCA's "Demand USA Beef" license plates. Plates can be purchased for $6 each. Plates can be purchased online at www.kansascattlemen.com, by calling the KCA office at 785-238-1483, or by mail at KCA, 606 N. Washington St., Junction City, KS 66441. Personal checks, money orders, Mastercard and Visa are accepted.  

Legal: Two different groups have intervened in the COOL lawsuit to support and defend the correct implementation of country of origin labeling. These two groups are the 1)United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA, National Farmers Union (NFU), American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA)) and 2) R-CALF USA (R-CALF USA, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA), Food & Water Watch, and Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC)). Each of these groups is incurring legal costs in efforts to promote U.S. cattle producers and protect U.S. consumers. If you would like to support these efforts, both groups have set up their own COOL fund to help curtail some of these costs. At the KCA annual convention, KCA was able to help raise more than $3,000 to help these groups. If you would like to donate to one or both of these groups, please send your donation to the following:

R-CALF USA

ATTN: COOL FUND

P.O. Box 30715

Billings, MT 59107

USCA

ATTN: COOL Defense Fund

PO Box 339

San Lucas, CA 93954