Beef should be labeled with a country-of-origin label

The United States Cattlemen’s Association, National Farmers Union, and other agriculture groups support reestablishing mandatory country of origin label (MCOOL) for beef. No store-labeled beef has a reliable country-of-origin label. The meat could be from the USA or any of the 20 countries from which beef is imported. Customers will see a USDA inspection label or a USA flag on the package. That’s deceptive; the beef could be from anywhere.

Four international meat packers import cheaper foreign beef to sell at higher prices in the U.S. market. Congress implemented MCOOL for beef in 2008. In 2015, the meat packers politically leveraged the Canadian and Mexican governments to file a complaint against the U.S., MCOOL. The World Trade Organization (WTO) ordered deceptive labeling practices to be reinstated only for the U.S.

WTO didn’t apply the rule to other countries. All beef sold in EU Member countries must be labeled where the animal was born, fattened, and slaughtered. Japan, Austria, and Brazil also require MCOOL on beef.

The U.S. trade representative criticized the WTO's ruling on Country-of-Origin Labeling, claiming it misinterpreted agreements and undermined U.S. sovereignty.

Meat packers argue against beef MCOOL. First, they reference a Kentucky study claiming consumers prioritize price. However, MCOOL enhances transparency, allowing lower-cost imports to be compared with domestic beef, fostering competition and keeping prices affordable.

Second, packers say MCOOL didn’t increase demand for beef, but during its implementation, imported beef decreased, benefiting U.S. producers. Consumers wanting to support American ranchers can choose beef exclusively born, raised, and harvested in the U.S.

Lastly, they cite a survey claiming consumers don’t care about beef origin. But the survey misleads by not clearly distinguishing between U.S. and foreign labels. Consumers overwhelmingly want to know the origin for their food.

Packers argue tracing and labeling origins is costly, doesn't benefit consumers and leads to higher prices. However, during the mandatory COOL labeling for beef from 2008 to 2015, there was no significant increase in consumer prices.

A research report by the EU states, “ … the cost of compulsory labeling represents around 6% of the beef processing costs.” Since all European EU members' beef must be labeled with the country of origin, this elevates their packers’ trace-label costs. R-CALF USA COOL Committee Chairman Mike Schulz of Kansas states that labeling U.S. beef doesn't require tracking all U.S. cattle.

On Feb. 5 U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) reintroduced the American Beef Labeling Act. This bill is bipartisan, but our two Iowa senators have yet to sign support.

The new MCOOL Senate Bill 421 will effectively address deceptive labeling practices, ensuring consumer transparency. Plus, beef MCOOL empowers consumers to support economic opportunities in rural America.

John Clayton is a farmer in Brooklyn and a member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Iowa Farmers Union, both of which support beef MCOOL.