US Congress Approves M-COOL

[Willowcreek]

This is how the e-mail I received from the Ag Committee explains the labeling:

The Committee also approved language that will finally allow full implementation of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for meat in the Farm Bill. This language is a victory for consumers who overwhelmingly support the program.
It includes three categories of labeling,

one that indicates product was born, raised and slaughtered in the United States;

one that indicates that product was not exclusively born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.;

and one that includes products entirely from other countries.

For ground meat, products can be labeled with a list of countries where product may have originated.

[Willowcreek]

General News
House Ag panel approves COOL

By Tom Johnston on 7/20/2007 for Meatingplace.com




The House Agriculture Committee voted Thursday night to require country-of-origin labels on meat product beginning next year, finally allowing full implementation of the rule provided in the 2002 Farm Bill.

Following days of debate, as well as media reports about food scares emanating from China, the committee compromised by agreeing to require the labels, but ease penalties and tedious record-keeping requirements opposed by many food retailers and meatpackers.

"Our top priority from the beginning has been that the benefits of COOL must outweigh the costs for cattle producers," Jay Truitt, vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said in a statement. "We took some major steps in that direction last night."

The measure creates three categories of labeling: one that indicates product was born, raised and slaughtered in the United States; one that indicates product was not exclusively born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.; and one that includes products entirely derived from foreign countries. Ground meat product can be labeled with a list of countries where product may have originated.

The law is set to take effect in September of 2008.

[farmers_son]

Willowcreek: There is a saying that the gods punish us by granting our wishes. I suspect U.S. cattle producers will rue the day that COOL came into law. Not only is it very questionable that benefits, if there are any, actually make it to the primary producer level but U.S. producers will carry the burden of proving U.S. birth, mandatory tagging etc.

Chicken is exempt from COOL, I have never understood the U.S. cattle producer's willingness to give chicken any further advantages.

From a Canadian producers perspective, it is regrettable that that the U.S. decided to go with COOL. COOL will no doubt be challenged before NAFTA. But assuming that COOL does become the law of the land in the U.S. no one should think for a minute that Canadian beef is just going to go away. We Canucks are a hardy bunch. Plans are already being made to market Canadian beef in a COOL environment.

The end result of COOL will be to further isolate the U.S. You will find that the packers will use COOL to divide producers in the major beef producing regions of the world in order to further reduce live cattle prices everywhere.

I have said it before... U.S. producers will not be successful over the long term in raising the price of their live cattle by pursing domestic policies that in effect create sources of cheaper live cattle in other countries. Especially a next door neighbour like Canada who raises almost the exact same product. The number one best way to raise live cattle prices in the U.S. is to have higher live cattle prices in Canada.

I recall people saying that Canada needed to cooperate more with the U.S. I have yet to see the benefits. I note our soldiers in Afghanistan are good enough to fight your wars for you but our beef is not good enough to be sold in your stores.

[Willowcreek]

farmers_son-- the reason no one objected to chicken is that very little to none is now being imported...The chicken production in the US has already obtained total vertical integration with the Packers owning it all from egg to frying pan- so they don't want imports coming in...They already have total regulation- the same as they want with all meat products eventually....

As I said in the Argentine link-- I think if Canada doesn't move quickly to mandate a M-COOL of their own, they will be wishing so very soon when the USDA opens up North America to the Argentine and Brazilian beef...

Most of the Canadian friends I talk with regularly can see this handwriting on the wall and support the M-COOL all the way-- thinking their Packer bought out ABP/CCA/SSGA folks are selling them down the tubes for the benefit of their Packer Buddies-- AGAIN....

And I'd love to have a NAFTA challenge-- with the current mood in the US of the people/voters against Globalism, unsafe foreign products, loss of jobs and value of the dollar, loss of sovereignty, etc. etc... It may just be what is needed to disrail the neocon Bush Boys and their attempt to take over Canada and Mexico with the NAU-- and may even produce enough backing to completely undo NAFTA at the next (soon to be) vote on continuing it...

Look at the support of the people/voters on the immigration bill (80%) and the M-COOL bill (90%)....

The mood in America of taking care of/selling out our sovereignty to every Podunk country of the world is quickly changing....

And on top of it- any challenge would be a futile effort as the M-COOL labeling, as currently written meets every WTO rule and is currently practiced by 40 countries of the world.....

farmers_son-- Why not utilize COOL and promote your product and get off sucking the US cattlemans/industrys hind teat?...

[kato]

farmers_son-- Why not utilize COOL and promote your product and get off sucking the US cattlemans/industrys hind teat?...

I wish I had a dollar for every time I read that "sucking off the hind teat" comment.

I'd be sitting in an air conditioned house right now, instead of lurking in front of a fan........

Got me on a cranky day! It's already getting dark out, it's still over 30, and muggy, and it's not going to cool off tonight.

[Willowcreek]

Kato--"Got me on a cranky day! It's already getting dark out, it's still over 30, and muggy, and it's not going to cool off tonight."

Was 105 here today- 110 just south of me..Still 99 now at 9PM-- supposed to be hotter tomorrow and Tuesday...And I gotta fix fence on some creek crossings so I can move cows to better water!!!

Kato- I really didn't mean that to piss anyone off- just a fact that instead of all the whining about M-COOL I read on these forums from Canadians-- why not take advantage of it? Ten years ago Canada pretty much loss the identity of their beef (which used to be a GOOD identity)-- and now they have the chance to regain that identity and promote their own CANADIAN PRODUCT-- not just generic USDA stamped, passed off as USA beef...

rkaiser can see it, many of my neighbors just north of the border I talk with can see it (and think Canada needs an M-COOL too)-- but it seems most others on these forums just want to go back to the old status quo-- "hanging on the US's hind teat"--which ain't gonna happen...

[farmers_son]

Willowcreek said “Why not utilize COOL and promote your product and get off sucking the US cattlemans/industrys hind teat?...” The thought that came to my mind was why doesn’t the U.S. get their own oil and gas and stop sucking off of ours.

Voluntary COOL would have been about marketing and promotion. Mandatory COOL, which is what the U.S has put in place, is about protectionism and putting barriers in place to keep primarily Canadian beef out of American retail coolers. American retailers simply will not handle Canadian or beef of non U.S. origin because of the possibility that it could end up mislabeled with resulting punitive fines for the retailer. As well, U.S. packers will have to put in place special protocols to ensure Canadian live cattle slaughtered in U.S. plants do not end up mixed with U.S. beef. The expectation is many packers simply will not bother handling Canadian cattle and those that do will pass the extra costs of keeping the meat segregated back to Canadian cattlemen.

COOL is protectionism, it is about restricting Canadian cow producers ability to access our NAFTA market. If there was any doubt before about the U.S. slow response to reopen the border to normalized trade with Canadian beef and live cattle, the implementation of COOL has made it crystal clear. It has been about protectionism all along. It is not about food safety, marketing, the public’s right to know or any of that.

Canadian producers need to realize that under COOL, the responsibility for ensuring meat is labeled correctly lies with the American retailer. There is a heavy requirement for the U.S. retailer to maintain records of the origin of all beef sold in their stores as well that retailer must be reasonably sure that all their suppliers are providing meat that is labeled correctly. Facing this kind of regulatory burden the retailer is left with only one solution... only sell U.S. origin meat and only purchase meat from suppliers that handle U.S. product exclusively. COOL does not present a marketing challenge for Canadian beef, it shuts the door to Canadian beef in retail stores. The U.S. market for Canadian beef will be effectively reduced to the restaurant and prepared food sector.

But you know folks, the U.S does not play fair and there should be no surprise in that to anyone on this side of the border. The question now is what is our government and industry going to do about it. Is there going to be a NAFTA challenge? Will our federal government stand up for our cattle producers or not? I do think it is important that Canadian producers understand that COOL represents a very significant change in the North American beef market and that it is way, way more than a marketing challenge. It will not be business as usual a year from now. COOL effectively puts a 14-15% tariff on Canadian beef entering the U.S. due to very restricted access to premium retail markets and extra costs to get our live cattle killed and processed.

Willowcreek never responded to my comment that our soldiers are good enough to fight the American's war in Afghanistan but our beef is not good enough to be sold in their stores.

[Willowcreek]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
farmers_son"Willowcreek said “Why not utilize COOL and promote your product and get off sucking the US cattlemans/industrys hind teat?...” The thought that came to my mind was why doesn’t the U.S. get their own oil and gas and stop sucking off of ours. "

farmerson-- why should the US use up the US oil and natural resources--when it is easier to follow the Corporate worlds/elite Globalists/Bush Boys plan to just annex in Canada and Mexico thru the NAU...Saves US natural resources without upsetting the enviroment...

So you think the war on terrorism is just a US war, EH? Brits don't agree with you about now..
I guess its not your fault-- the US has spent so much for years keeping all the Free World free, that most of you other countries (especially little brother Canada) just automatically expect it--and don't think they need to do anything or pay any price!!!!

[kato]

Willowkreek said, "I guess its not your fault-- the US has spent so much for years keeping all the Free World free, that most of you other countries (especially little brother Canada) just automatically expect it--and don't think they need to do anything or pay any price!!!!"

Arrogant or what....

Keeping the Free World free???? Don't you mean protecting American oil supplies?

Don't even get me started on this one.......

[Willowcreek]

Kato "Don't you mean protecting American oil supplies?"

I guess you have will have nothing to worry about then-EH...Especially when the North American outline covered by a $ sign flag of the NAU flys over Canada instead of the Maple Leaf....

[WilIow-Kreek]

My nephew returned from Afghanistan a few weeks ago.He was raised by my brother and his wife a half mile down the road from my house.
When I finally had a chance to visit with him the first thing he told me about his tour was that his life had been saved by a Canadian sniper team when he and his squad were in a very tight spot.
I know many of you won't care what I say on this thread but I will say it anyway..Thank You for what your military is doing.Obviously Willowcreek is being very shortsighted but I can honestly say now that I view Canada in a very different light.
I will never support R-calf in the future.If your soldiers can risk their lives alongside ours then I think I can compete with you as friends in the beef buisness.THANK YOU CANADA.

[smcgrath76]

WK - First let me say I am glad your nephew is back and alive. Military service is a big sacrifice and I am sure those on the ground don't always make the policy or the decisions that put them in harms way.

COOL - I think this does create some niche opportunities for Canadian producers however I don't think that works for every animal in this country. I agree with FS that COOL is basically just an extra cost structure to industry. I hope that US producers have determined all the costs to themselves. I suspect that those down the chain will not bear the brunt of the costs.

COOL is a pretty good way to ratchet up a national ID requirement stateside.

I think isolationism may come back to bite the US on the hind end. It can't work both ways. Consumers can't drive Honda cars running on Canadian oil and watch Toshiba televisions all the while failing to allow freer trade in agricultural commodities.

I really struggle to see where US trade policy is going. Ambivalent or hypocritical are two words that come to mind. Kind of makes me think of a society in senescence.

[Willowcreek]

"But should any nation, contrary to our wishes, suppose it may better find its advantage by continuing its system of prohibitions, duties and regulations, it behooves us to protect our citizens, their commerce and navigation, by counter prohibitions, duties and regulations, also. Free commerce and navigation are not to be given in exchange for restrictions and vexations; nor are they likely to produce a relaxation of them. " Thomas Jefferson

Canadians don't (or don't want to) remember that they were the ones that first set a NAFTA precedent on using health restrictions as a trade barrier to protect their cattlemen when they came out with their "ALL US CATTLE ARE DISEASED"... And then continued the barrier for over 10 years, even tho it was proven to be a facade...

But now when the teat got in the wringer and the US cattlemen countered-want to say it is and always has been just one big North American Herd-- and one big happy family... LOL

[kato]

WilIow-Kreek, thank you for your comment. I'm glad he got home OK.