American Beef Labeling Act helps level playing field for ranchers, improves transparency for consumers

The American Beef Labeling Act introduced in Congress this week will increase fairness for ranchers and improve transparency for consumers, Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer said, lauding the bill.

National Farmers Union on Wednesday also announced support of the ABLA introduced by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). The legislation codifies mandatory country-of-origin labeling, or MCOOL, for beef sold in the U.S., distinguishing American-produced products in grocery stores.

Both NFU and MFU urged additional cosponsors to endorse the bill and support its swift passage, with MFU sending letters requesting Montana’s U.S. senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy support ABLA.

“American beef and pork are the only food products that don’t require a country of origin label. American consumers deserve to know where their beef is born, raised, and processed. The American cattle rancher deserves a fair marketplace,” Schweitzer said. “The U.S. cattle numbers are at their lowest point in over 70 years, clearly the American cattle rancher is struggling. We should put American consumers and cattle ranchers first by requiring Country of Origin Label on all beef products.”

“America’s family farmers and ranchers produce the best agricultural products in the world, and consumers have the right to know where their products come from,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “I’m very grateful to Senators Thune and Booker for listening to Farmers Union members across the country who have been calling for mandatory country-of-origin labeling legislation for decades. The passage of the American Beef Labeling Act will help create greater transparency for consumers and a more competitive market for cattle farmers and ranchers.”

Specifically, the ABLA will give American cattle farmers and ranchers more power in production and marketing by including package labeling indicating that their product has been born, raised, slaughtered, and packaged entirely in the U.S. This allows small and mid-size producers to occupy a larger market share and receive a greater share of the consumer’s food dollar.

NFU and MFU have advocated for decades for mandatory country-of-origin labeling to level the playing field and give family farmers and ranchers a chance against growing anti-competitive business practices by large corporations.