Cattle Group Raises Concerns Over Country-of-Origin Labeling Proposal
A cattle industry group is raising concerns about a mandatory country-of-origin labeling provision included in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s version of the Farm Bill, arguing the requirement could increase costs for both producers and consumers.
Ethan Lane, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said mandatory country-of-origin labeling, commonly referred to as MCOOL, would add compliance expenses at a time when cattle producers are already dealing with high production costs.
“The logic of, in an environment where producers are complaining about high input costs and high costs to produce that product, at the same time that everyone is focused on lowering consumer prices, MCOOL would do two things right away,” Lane said. “It would raise costs for producers to comply with it, and it would raise the price of our product for consumers at the store.”
Lane said he does not believe mandatory labeling would produce a corresponding increase in consumer demand for U.S. beef.
He pointed to recent Kansas State University research examining the factors consumers consider when purchasing beef. According to Lane, country-of-origin labeling ranked near the bottom of the factors considered by shoppers.
“Origin labeling fell 11th out of the top 12 in that list,” Lane said. “Consumers buy on price and quality, and they’re matching those two up right now when they go to the store.”
The debate over mandatory country-of-origin labeling has been a longstanding issue within the U.S. cattle industry. Supporters have argued consumers should be able to easily identify where cattle were born, raised and processed, while opponents have raised concerns about compliance costs, trade implications and whether consumers are willing to pay more for the information.
The provision’s inclusion in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill proposal is expected to renew that debate as lawmakers work on agricultural policy.