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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – North Dakota Farmers Union’s board of directors voted unanimously this morning to donate ,000 to defend legal challenges to Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL). The donation represents virtually a dollar per member contribution.

“Country-of-origin labeling is a Farmers Union issue we’ve advocated for since the ‘90s,” said NDFU President Woody Barth. “We believe consumers have a right to know where their food and meat products come from. This is a battle and it’s costly. Our donation sets the bar high for other organizations.”

Nine American, Canadian and Mexican meat, livestock and check-off organizations filed a lawsuit in July in opposition to USDA’s revised regulations on COOL that were promulgated as a result of a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling.

National Farmers Union and its member states, along with the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, American Sheep Industry Association and the Consumer Federation of America, became intervenors in the lawsuit in August. As such, the groups are permitted to participate in litigation. Last week, the coalition successfully blocked a preliminary injunction that would have prevented USDA from implementing and enforcing its revised COOL regulations until the lawsuit is concluded.

Meatpacker-producer organizations and foreign interests are appealing the preliminary injunction decision. Farmers Union anticipates a further challenge will be brought forth by plaintiffs through the WTO.

“Our initial court cost estimates to defend COOL have now doubled, and could go as high as $400,000,” said Barth. “But we can’t let money be the determining factor here. The opposition’s pockets are deep, but consumer’s right to know is worth defending.”

Barth encourages those who support the effor to contribute to the COOL defense by sending a check payable to “U.S. CoolvDefense Fund,” National Farmers Union, 20 F St. NW, Suite 300, Washington,
DC 20001.