Farmers Union Supports MCOOL Act

(DENVER, CO) – Yesterday, U.S. Senators John Thune (R-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) along with co-sponsors Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), reintroduced the American Beef Labeling Act. This bipartisan legislation would reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef. It would require the U.S. Trade Representative to work with the USDA to develop MCOOL requirements for beef within one year and ensure that it is compliant with World Trade Organization standards.

“We believe that consumers have the right to know what is in their food and where it comes from,” says Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President Chad Franke. “We are committed to restoring mandatory country of origin labeling not only for beef, but for pork, chicken, lamb and other foods as well. We believe it will create transparency to consumers and prevent misleading practices practiced by our concentrated meat packers. MCOOL will reward producers who produce healthy, safe meat products while stewarding the natural resources of our working landscapes. We thank Senator Lummis for co-sponsoring this bill and urge Representatives and Senators from our threes states to press Congress to quickly pass this vital legislation.”

Current beef labeling requirements allows for imported beef that is finished, processed, or even re-packaged to carry the ‘Product of USA’ label. Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is working to correct this unfair and misleading loophole in the system.

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is a general farm organization whose 20,000 member families have an interest in production agriculture in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.