Mandatory country-of-origin labeling

Okay, thank you, Brian.

Your answer? Well, one of the things is more local food for local people, and that's where MCOOL will give the consumers a choice.

But we have the best quality food in the country, and we ought to be using it to feed people here, whether it's in the schools or...

We got a lot of plans as far as senior citizen centers and all kinds of things, and yes, Brian is right.

I hope that it results in something meaningful.

But I support the MCOOL, Mandatory Court Country of Origin label.

I think if Americans know what they're buying, they're going to buy American.

My big thing right now in the cattle industry, this imported beef issue is a big issue.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane, says that this provision is not good for U.S. cattle producers nor consumers.

Well, the logic of in an environment where producers are complaining about high input costs and high costs to produce that product, the same time that everyone is focused on lowering consumer prices, mCool would do two things right away.

It would raise costs for producers to comply with it, and it would raise the price of our product for consumers at the store.

What it wouldn't do is drive demand.

... with the product USA.

Um, and, and, and on the MCOOL, what just always blew my mind is I can go to the grocery store.

I mean, I can probably leave here today and I'll go get some broccoli.

And I know it's either gonna have a product USA or product of Mexico sticker.

Okay.

All right.

So do you think we will ever see MCOOL?

I think there's substantial momentum for it.

Lane argues the included proposal of the mandatory country of origin labeling in the proposed farm bill would add costs throughout the supply chain without increasing demand for beef.

The logic of pushing mandatory country of origin labeling in an environment where producers are complaining about high cost to produce that product, MCOOL would do two things right away.

It would raise costs for producers to comply with it, and it would raise the price of our product for consumers.

What it wouldn't do is drive demand.

Yeah.

The MCOOL has actually come up more than once, twice through Congress and has not been successful, not been a successful program.

I...

it is coming up again, and, and as Under Secretary for Food Safety, we do whatever Congress asks us.

And if that comes up, we're, we stand ready for the labeling, which is where FSIS plays an important role to make sure that we meet those standards on MCOOL.

And we're just standing ready to see what comes through, and hopefully we will have a farm bill at some point, and we'll see where that lands, and we're here ready to, to do whatever we need to do for that.

Always we want transparency for our consumers.

We will be not only looking at the Packers and Stockyard and looking at expanded market access through that.

We will also be doing a study on MCOOL, mandatory country of origin labeling, just the feasibility of that.

There will be some data collected on that.

As for the Undersecretary's mission area of food safety...

And you know, we hear a lot...

Uh, uh, we interview Senator Mike Rounds and various politicians, John Thune a lot, and they say that they do get a lot of calls, a lot of calls from ranchers and cattle people that are, uh, in favor of MCOOL, of course.

How does one join the battle to fight for MCOOL, mandatory country of origin labeling, highlighting USB?

Well, they can call, uh, R-CALF USA at 406-252-2516, or go to our website and, and look on our country of origin labeling page.

And of course, uh, call their individual members of Congress, uh, in order to s- secure their support for this important measure.