This is a campaign to get Congress to reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef, Senate Bill S.421. MCOOL will require all beef sold in grocery stores to be labeled with its country of origin. Current voluntary guidelines are ineffective as global corporations, who control over 85% of the beef market, choose not to label beef origins. MCOOL puts power back in the hands of consumers and supports the long-term survival of America’s farmers and ranchers.
We Need Your Help
Ask Your Senators to Cosponsor S.421
Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for each of your senators by name and urge them to cosponsor the American Beef Labeling Act S.421. They can call Senator Thune or Booker’s office to become a cosponsor. Continue making weekly calls and help generate more calls by asking your friends, relatives, neighbors, and others to make calls until your senators agree to cosponsor S.421, the American Beef Labeling Act.
If your senators are already cosponsors, thank them for their support! S.421 cosponsors include Sens. Thune (R-SD), Booker (D-NJ), Rounds (R-SD), Heinrich (D-NM), Lummis (R-WY), Fetterman (D-PA), Hoeven (R-ND), and Luján (D-NM).
Donate below or
Text MCOOL to 801801
Your donation supports texting 38,000 MCOOL supporters to urge Congress for MCOOL for beef.
Chart: MCOOL’s repeal in 2015 caused beef (blue) and cattle (red) prices to diverge. MCOOL will help restore the relationship between beef and cattle prices, provide consumers with more choices and pricing options, and regulate beef prices.
Additional Resources
Congressional offices all follow Letters to the Editors in their newspapers. Write your own Letter to the Editor to newspapers in your state and include your Congressional Representatives’ names. Examples are below.
Stoneberg: Dear Editor, Why are some groups opposing MCOOL? | TSLN.com
Kimball Livestock Exchange: We support MCOOL | TSLN.com
Bentlage: Cattle ranchers need Congress help against big 4 meatpackers | The Kansas City Star
Stockton: Consumers overwhelmingly want country of origin labeling | Ravalli Republic (Mont.)
Bipartisan Beef – Opinion Editorials – U.S. Senator John Thune (senate.gov) **Share Sens. Thune and Tester’s Op-ed with your local newspaper.
Anderson: Support honest labeling of beef | Letters to the Editor | bismarcktribune.com
Stockton: USDA Labeling Fraud – Western Ag Reporter
Bullard: Beef Packers, Allies Urge Congress to Do Nothing in Face of Broken Cattle Markets
Evans: Label misleads: It’s time for transparency in meat production – WyoFile
Dunlap: It’s time to demand a fair and transparent marketing system Lewistown News-Argus (Mont.)
Opinion: Dockter: Who supports ND beef? | TSLN.com (N.Dak.)
Iversen: Concentration in the marketplace | TSLN.com (S.Dak.)
O’Shaughnessy: Where’s the beef (from)? | Rome Daily Sentinel (romesentinel.com) (N.Y.)
Dockter: We need MCOOL | TSLN.com (N.Dak.)
Paulsen: MCOOL and 50/14 Letter to the Editor Crofton Journal (Neb.)
Share the Resolution to Support Mandatory COOL for Beef (available here) with your state legislator or Tribal Council and ask them to introduce it in your state legislative session.
So far, the South Dakota State Legislature and the Navajo Nation Council have passed Resolutions to Support MCOOL.
10.14.2022 MCOOL update | TSLN.com
8.30.2022 Advocates of COOL for beef see a pathway to success – if Senate acts | InsideTrade.com (Sign up for the free trial to view.)
4.25.2022 Hard-Fought Battle Continues Over Beef Country-of-Origin Labeling (dtnpf.com)
4.7.2022 – House members sponsor MCOOL legislation – Tri-State Livestock News
-1.7.2022 – VIDEO – Fox News Tomi Lahren: Ranchers and consumers losing money because of foreign meat imports
-12.21.2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Ranch Group Applauds Navajo Nation’s Support of MCOOL
-12.17.2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Colorado Ranchers Raise More Than $24K for MCOOL, 50/14
-12.11.2021 – ARTICLE – US News by Associated Press – Navajo ranchers want imported beef labeled
-09.17.2021 – EDITORIAL – Rapid City Journal – Thune: Real American Beef
Buy or Sell US Born, Raised & Processed Beef
Until Congress passes the MCOOL law for beef, connect directly with US cattle producers at www.USABeef.org.
About R-CALF USA: R-CALF USA is the nation’s largest producer-only trade association representing the U.S. cattle industry. Our mission is to ensure the continued profitability and independence of U.S. cattle producers. We’re the ones who helped lead the victory to get the mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) law passed in 2002 before it was repealed for beef and pork in 2015. Our efforts still help fruit, vegetable, fish, chicken, lamb and nut farmers win back their markets because all these commodities remain under the MCOOL law.
