Keep COOL and Make Your Voice Heard

May 5, 2015 – By #South Dakota Farmer Union

By President Doug Sombke

On a recent trip to Italy, I was struck by the fact that the menus in nearly every restaurant I patronized labeled all ingredients by their country of origin. Although the U.S. has a Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law that was passed in 2008, our law differs from its European cousin in the fact that COOL only requires the labeling of meats and a limited list of fruits, nuts and vegetables sold in retail.

COOL is a common-sense law that allows consumers to know where their food is sourced. I was struck by the irony of food labeling. While other countries around the world have adopted, or are moving to adopt food labeling laws, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is contemplating penalizing the U.S. and forcing Americans to remove food labels. Without COOL, multinational meat packers would be able to mix imported meat with meat raised in the U.S.

To that end, Canada and Mexico have filed the suit at the WTO opposing COOL. Lawsuits against COOL have lost all rounds in U.S. courts, so all sides are waiting for the WTO decision that is expected to come in mid-to-late May.

Canada says COOL has hurt its U.S. meat export market. But proving COOL has had a negative impact on Canadian exports to the U.S. will not be easy, given the results of a recent Auburn University study that found the economic collapse of 2008 – not COOL – softened consumer demand in the U.S., resulting in a reduction in Canadian cattle exports to the U.S. Congress needs to leave COOL alone until the WTO process is over. Historically, it would be unprecedented for Congress to make any changes to a law in the middle of a lengthy WTO appeals process, so I hope Congress doesn’t start now.

I’m very proud of the beef I produce. As a fourth-generation farmer, I understand the labor and investment that goes into producing safe and high-quality meat. As American cattlemen, we believe that we produce the best beef in the world, and we’re proud to have “Born, Raised, and Slaughtered in the U.S.” on the label.

Oddly, two of the parties who joined in the dispute over COOL at the WTO are the European Union (EU) and Australia. Both countries have either already enacted, or are in the process of enacting, a similar labeling law. Meat labeling didn’t happen in Europe until consumers found out that they were eating horse meat instead of beef. Another reason COOL should remain on the books here.

Who knows what the WTO might decide. Globally, the political environment is clearly shifting toward more information for consumers, not less. So in the end, pressure will continue to mount within the WTO to recognize and accept the right of consumers to increased information such as that provided by COOL.

If knowing where your food comes from is important to you, contact our congressional leaders and ask them to leave COOL alone.