Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

A recent publication by the University of Tennessee’s Agriculture Policy Analysis Center urged the return of mandatory country of origin labeling for beef, pork, and bison. The center states that COOL could give consumers information they need to buy products that meet their individual buying preferences. The publication also claims the cost of providing this information would be negligible because the information already exists in the meat supply chain. The systems developed within the meat supply chain before the 2015 repeal of COOL for beef and pork still remain today but are not being used. However, COOL faces stiff opposition from meatpackers and importers. A pending ruling by the World Trade Organization authorizes Canada and Mexico to institute retaliatory tariffs if beef and pork were re-added to the COOL law. But, R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard argues that Congress can avoid retaliatory tariffs by passing a new law to reinstate COOL for beef rather than re-adding beef to the old law.