Montanans are demanding fairness from the farm to their forks in 2026

The Montana Country-of-Origin Labeling Coalition, a coalition representing the majority of Montana’s cattle producers and focused on the reinstatement of mandatory country-of-origin labeling, will hold a press conference at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Yellowstone Valley Food Hub (2115 Lampman Drive, Ste. A, in Billings). 

Since the repeal of mandatory COOL in 2015, Montana has lost 25 percent of its family ranches, and consumers no longer have confidence in the quality of the beef on their tables. Meanwhile, the Big 4 multinational meat processing corporations continue to rake in record profits.   

The newly implemented Product of USA Labeling rule by the USDA, which took effect Jan. 1 of this year, does close a few loopholes that had previously been exploited by the meat packing industry, but it allows COOL to remain voluntary and leaves room for vague labels, weakening the integrity of the US food supply.  

Members of the Montana COOL Coalition, which includes the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, R-Calf, Northern Plains Resource Council, Montana Cattlemen’s Association, Abundant Montana, Montana Farmers Union, National Farmers, and the Intertribal Agriculture Council, will highlight the importance of mandatory COOL during the press conference and will be available for questions afterward.  

Learn more about the Montana Country-of-Origin Labeling Coalition at mtcool.org.