A coalition of groups representing farmers, ranchers, and consumers is pushing to join the legal battle over U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations regarding mandatory country-of-origin (COOL) labels, according to a report in The Hill. In a motion filed late last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, R-CALF USA, Food & Water Watch, the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, and the Western Organization of Resource Councils are seeking to intervene on behalf of USDA.
The attorney for the farmers and ranchers coalition is Mississippi-based Dudley Butler, a former administrator of USDA’s Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration.
The American Association of Meat Processors, American Meat Institute, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Pork Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, North American Meat Association, and the Southwest Meat Association filed a lawsuit in July challenging the regulations and requesting an injunction to block the COOL rules, saying they would cripple business and violate First Amendment protections from compelled speech. The groups also argue that the rules would require costly labeling systems on meat that would not directly further a government interest.
The new coalition of farmers, ranchers, and consumers wish to join the case in defense of the COOL rules and are contesting the free speech argument. “Our interest is in preserving COOL for generations to come,” said Silvia Christen, executive director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association. “The COOL regulations that requires the meat labels to list each country where livestock was born, raised, and harvested benefits U.S. cattle and sheep producers who can differentiate and promote American born and raised livestock in an increasingly international supermarket meat case.”
The COOL regulations were meant to bring the United States into compliance with international standards following a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling last year that previous labeling practices were unfair to Mexico and Canada. Mexico and Canada, the United States top two meat trading partners, could retaliate with damaging tariffs if the WTO determines the new rules do not meet international standards.
Judge Ketanji Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia gave no indication of her leanings, but promised she would rule within two weeks on the most recent request for a preliminary injunction again USDA, Politico report.
