A
Anonymous
Guest
Today 6/29/2005 4:14:00 PM
Cattle Alert: NFU Commends Senate Legislation to Implement COOL
WASHINGTON (June 29, 2005) – National Farmers Union commended the bipartisan efforts of several U.S. senators for their work to speed up the implementation of country-of-origin labeling (COOL).
The senators introduced legislation that would require the implementation of mandatory COOL by January 2006. Mandatory COOL can provide producers with the opportunity to gain a greater share of the food dollar, while providing consumers with a greater understanding of the food they feed their families.
"President Kennedy challenged America to put a man on the moon in a decade, and that amazing feat was accomplished," said NFU President Dave Frederickson. "It has taken longer to put a label on our meat than it did to put a man on the moon. That simply does not make sense."
A flood of imported food products continue to find their place on America's grocery store shelves, and consumers have no way of distinguishing U.S. food products from imported ones. An NFU nationwide poll found that over 80 percent of consumers support mandatory COOL, and would purchase U.S.-labeled products if given the choice. Still, the U.S. House of Representatives voted once again to delay the implementation of COOL for meat.
"It is unfair to keep a marketing and promotion tool like COOL from American producers, while continuing the negotiation of trade deals like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that will further open U.S. markets with little expected return for U.S. producers," said Frederickson.
Sens. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Conrad Burns, R-Mont., co-sponsored the legislation.
Cattle Alert: NFU Commends Senate Legislation to Implement COOL
WASHINGTON (June 29, 2005) – National Farmers Union commended the bipartisan efforts of several U.S. senators for their work to speed up the implementation of country-of-origin labeling (COOL).
The senators introduced legislation that would require the implementation of mandatory COOL by January 2006. Mandatory COOL can provide producers with the opportunity to gain a greater share of the food dollar, while providing consumers with a greater understanding of the food they feed their families.
"President Kennedy challenged America to put a man on the moon in a decade, and that amazing feat was accomplished," said NFU President Dave Frederickson. "It has taken longer to put a label on our meat than it did to put a man on the moon. That simply does not make sense."
A flood of imported food products continue to find their place on America's grocery store shelves, and consumers have no way of distinguishing U.S. food products from imported ones. An NFU nationwide poll found that over 80 percent of consumers support mandatory COOL, and would purchase U.S.-labeled products if given the choice. Still, the U.S. House of Representatives voted once again to delay the implementation of COOL for meat.
"It is unfair to keep a marketing and promotion tool like COOL from American producers, while continuing the negotiation of trade deals like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that will further open U.S. markets with little expected return for U.S. producers," said Frederickson.
Sens. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Conrad Burns, R-Mont., co-sponsored the legislation.
