0
|
0 |
|
|
Americans for Country of Origin
Labeling
March 6, 2002 The Honorable Tom Harkin Dear Senator Harkin, We the undersigned national, state and local organizations
urge you to support mandatory country
of origin labeling for produce, meats and fish and to oppose efforts to weaken the definition requirements for labels. A majority of the members of Congress agree the time is
right for country of origin labeling. As you know, both the Senate-passed (S.
1731) and House-passed (H.R. 2646) versions of the farm bill adopted language in
support of mandatory country of origin labeling. House members voted nearly
three to one (296 to 121) in favor of mandatory country of origin labeling for
produce. The Senate farm bill goes much further. It requires country of origin
labeling for fresh produce, peanuts and meat products including beef, pork, lamb
and farm-raised fish. While some labeling exists at points in the supply chain,
current U.S. laws fail to mandate retail-level country of origin labeling for
these foods. Country of origin labeling works in concert with government
inspections – combining regulations and market competition — to help ensure
that U.S. consumers have access to the best quality food. Only through mandatory
labeling can consumers be certain of buying wholesome food products from the
country of their choice. At a time when much of the food in supermarkets is from
foreign producers, American consumers have demonstrated an overwhelming
preference for country of origin labeling. An August 2001 national poll
conducted by Vance Publishing found nearly four of every five consumers
supported mandatory country of origin labeling of fresh produce. And according
to a March 1999 survey by Wirthlin Worldwide, 86 percent of consumers support
country of origin labeling for meat products. Country
of origin labeling will help ensure fairer markets for both domestic and foreign
food products by ensuring consistent and accurate information at the point of
sale. Indeed, consumers who have a preference for food products from a
particular country – based on flavor, seasonality, reputation or a host of
other factors – will use country of origin labeling to make a sure choice. The
result will be a marketplace where food products – domestic or imported –
gain market share based on performance and value. Opponents
argue that trade retaliation will make implementing country of origin labeling
difficult. We disagree. Most of
this country’s major trading partners have their own country of origin
labeling requirements for perishable agricultural commodities and meat products.
Most recently in January 2002, for example, the EU Commission issued stringent
beef labeling rules requiring that consumers be informed at the retail level of
the country in which an animal was born, raised and slaughtered. Country of origin labeling costs virtually nothing.
According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, a state where country of
origin labeling for produce has been law for more than 20 years, it costs
supermarkets $5 to $10 per store a week – if that cost is passed on to
consumers, that’s less than one cent per household per week. As Florida’s
food retailers have discovered, labeling is simple and straightforward to
implement, and contributes to a more informed and satisfactory buying experience
for consumers. Our nation’s producers and growers strongly support
country of origin labeling for their products. U.S. producers and growers invest
significant time, money, resources and energy to produce top quality products.
They incur a number of costs in adhering to regulations – regulations
which many other countries do not require – in order to help ensure that our
food supply is wholesome. Country of origin labeling can be a valuable marketing
tool to help promote products based on their value to consumers in a fair and
open marketplace. Finally,
we oppose any effort to weaken country of origin labeling. Changes that would
weaken the definition requirements include allowing animals that are not born
and raised in the United States to receive a U.S. country of origin label,
and/or replacing mandatory labeling with a voluntary program. Mandatory
country of origin labeling has the backing in Congress and strong support among
consumers and producers. Please support maintaining this important provision as
the differences between the House and Senate versions of the farm bill are
ironed out in conference committee. Sincerely, American Farm
Bureau Federation |
|
This page was last updated on Monday, October 27, 2008. |
