Sign on in support of Country of Origin Labeling
February 28, 2007
| The Honorable Tom Harkin | The Honorable Saxby Chambliss | Chairman | Ranking Member |
| U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee | U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee |
| 731 Hart Senate Office Building | 416 Russell Senate Office Building |
| Washington, D.C. 20510 | Washington, D.C. 20510 |
| The Honorable Collin Peterson | The Honorable Robert Goodlatte |
| Chairman | Ranking Member |
| U.S. House Agriculture Committee | U.S. House Agriculture Committee |
| 2159 Rayburn House Office Building | 2240 Rayburn House Office Building |
| Washington, D.C. 20515 | Washington, D.C. 20515 |
Dear Chairmen Harkin and Peterson and Ranking Members Chambliss and Goodlatte:
On behalf of millions of consumers and producers, we write to urge you to change the date of implementing mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for beef, pork, lamb, produce and peanuts to September 2007. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 included a provision requiring retailers to notify consumers of the country-of-origin of beef, pork, lamb, produce, peanuts and seafood. We represent millions of Americans that continue to stand united in support of this valuable program. Our coalition has grown impatient with the implementation delays in previous Congresses, which restricted USDA funds to implement this very popular provision. Your leadership is needed to ensure the intent of Congress and the will of the American people is met.
As the delayed implementation date of September 2008 nears, opponents of mandatory COOL are trying to convince Congress that a change in statute is needed in order to reduce the expense and burden of the program. We do not support changing a statute that has not been given a chance to prove itself. USDA implemented mandatory COOL on farm-raised and wild-caught seafood effective April 4, 2005 with the existing statute; the lessons learned from seafood implementation should be utilized by USDA to write a final rule on the remaining covered commodities that is not burdensome or expensive and meets the goal and intent of Congress.
Consumer surveys repeatedly demonstrate overwhelming support for mandatory COOL. A poll conducted in June 2005 by Public Citizen found 85 percent of respondents wanted COOL; 74 percent supported Congress making labeling a mandatory program; and 55 percent had “little or not much trust” in the meat, seafood, produce and grocery industries to voluntarily provide country-of-origin information. In January 2004, National Farmers Union commissioned a national poll of likely voters on the issue of mandatory COOL. That survey found 82 percent of respondents believed food should be labeled with country-of-origin information; 85 percent stated they would be more inclined to buy food produced in the United States; and 81 percent said they would be willing to pay a few cents more for food products grown and/or raised in the U.S. and identified as such.
Many of the myths surrounding mandatory COOL have begun to resurface, despite being unsubstantiated for years. Consumers and producers have grown impatient with the backdoor delays and the rhetoric of packers, processors and retailers that flys in the face of common-sense. The time has come for Congress to end the prohibition on implementation funds for USDA and require the department to immediately prepare a common-sense rule for implementation of mandatory COOL; the regulation does not need to be burdensome or expensive.
Enclosed are three recent editorials that have been printed in support of repealing the implementation delay and moving forward with mandatory COOL as directed in the 2002 farm bill.
American consumers and producers have time and again expressed their strong support for this program. Given a choice, we believe consumers across the country will choose to purchase U.S. products; without mandatory COOL, consumers continue to be denied the ability to differentiate between U.S. and imported products.
Thank you for your attention to this most important issue.
Sincerely,
Agriculture and Health Alive LLC (ME)
Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association
American Agriculture Movement of Texas County (OK)
American Corn Growers Association
American Grassfed Association
Arkansas Farmers Union
Boulder County Community Gleaning Project (CO)
California Farmers Union
Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment (IA)
Caney Fork Headwaters Association (TN)
Cape Cod Commercial Hook FishermenŐs Association (MA)
Center for Earth Spirituality and Rural Ministry (MN)
Citizens Awareness Network (MA)
Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CA)
Community Food Security Center, Community Food Bank, Inc. (AZ)
Community Food Security Coalition
Concerned Citizens of Central Ohio
Consumer Federation of America
Cornucopia Institute
Countryside Conservancy Farmland Center (OH)
Cumberland Countians for Peace & Justice (TN)
Dakota Resource Council (ND)
Dakota Rural Action (SD)
Endangered Habitats League (CA)
Equal Exchange (MA)
Farm Fresh Rhode Island
Farms Without Harm (MI)
Ferris Farm (NY)
Florida Farmers, Inc.
Food and Water Watch
Foodshed Alliance (NJ)
Georgia Organics
Georgia Poultry Justice Alliance
Go Wild Consumer Education Campaign (WA)
Hahn Natural Foods (PA)
HOLA/National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
Idaho Rural Council
Illinois Farmers Union
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Intertribal Agriculture Council (MT)
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Iowa Farmers Union
Kansas Farmers Union
Land Stewardship Project (MN)
Little Seed CSA (NY)
Michigan Farmers Union
Michigan Land Trustees
Midwest Organic Dairy Producers Association (WI)
Minnesota Farmers Union
Montana Farmers Union
Moonglow Farms (WI)
National Association of Counties
National Association of Farmer Elected Committees
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
National Consumers League
National Family Farm Coalition
National Farmers Organization
National Farmers Union
National Grange
Nature's International Certification Services (WI)
Nebraska Farmers Union
Nebraska Grange
Nebraska State AFL-CIO
Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics
Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility (TN)
Nevada Live Stock Association
New England Small Farm Institute
New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association
North Carolina Contract Poultry Growers Association
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northeast Organic Farming Association (MA)
Northeast Organic Farming Association (RI)
Ohio Environmental Council
Ohio Family Farm Coalition
Ohio Farmers Union
Oregon Farmers Union
Oregon Livestock Producers Association
Oregon Rural Action
Organic Choice Milk Procurement (WI)
Organic Consumers Association
Organic Farmers' Agency for Relationship Marketing, Inc. (WI)
Organization for Competitive Markets
Partnership for Earth Spirituality
Pesticide Action Network North America
Powder River Basin Resource Council (WY)
Research, Education, Action and Policy on Food Group (WI)
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (CO, WY, NM)
Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA
Rural Opportunities Inc. (NY)
Small Potatoes Gleaning Project (WA)
Society for Animal Protective Legislation (Animal Welfare Institute)
South Dakota Farmers Union
Southern Shrimp Alliance
Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Sustainable Living Systems (MT)
Taste of the North Fork, Inc (NY)
Texas Farmers Union
Torborg Farms (MN)
True Roots (PA)
Veritable Vegetable (CA)
Virginia Association for Biological Farming
Washington Biotechnology Action Council
Western Organization of Resource Councils
Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (MT)
Wisconsin Farmers Union
Wisconsin National Farmers Organization
Women Involved in Farm Economics
cc: Rep. Boswell, Chairman of Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry
Rep. Hayes, Ranking member of Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry
© 2007-2008 National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.