Final rules about the Country Of Origin Labeling (COOL) from the Henwhisperer:
“We’ve solved the Country of Origin Labeling problem that nobody thought we could get done.” A direct quote by Rep. Colin Peterson during the House Ag Committee press conference yesterday. If you go to download it from you’ll find that part at around 22 minutes.
NAIS is stripped from the Farm Bill!
This is a summary of an email from the National Farmers Union:
Last night the House Agriculture Committee farm bill and amendments were filed with the Rules Committee. Floor action is expected to begin tomorrow and continue until complete. The “compromise” negotiated between National Farmers Union (NFU) and the anti-COOL coalition has been finalized.
As of 5:30pm last night, the final-final-final details were put on the language and both sides have agreed to sign off on the meat AND produce legislative language.
Summary of COOL in the Farm Bill:
Penalties – Reduced from $10,000 to $1,000 for continuous willful violations. (Note: In the past 2.5 years seafood COOL has been implemented, USDA has issued $0 fines for non-compliance cases) (Applicable to meat and produce)
Audit – Provides USDA Secretary authority to audit retailers and suppliers of covered commodities to determine compliance. (Applicable to meat and produce)
Record keeping – The Secretary is prohibited from requiring anyone subject to an audit to provide records other than those maintained in the course of the normal conduct of business, including animal health papers, import/customs documents or producer affidavits. (Applicable to meat and produce)
Meat grandfather clause – Animals in the U.S. prior to January 1, 2008 will be presumed as U.S. for the purposes of COOL; animals imported and born in the U.S. after January 1, 2008 will be required to meet the obligations outlined in COOL.
Produce – State, regional or locality labeling is sufficient to meet the requirements of COOL. (e.g. Washington Apples, California Grown, etc.) According to the agreement between NFU and anti-COOL groups, they will not support any amendments to COOL throughout the 2007 Farm Bill drafting process (House floor, Senate consideration, conference committee). See letter to Chairman Peterson and Ranking Member Goodlatte. Also the letter from R-CALF USA to the committee in support of the COOL compromise which compares it side by side. If you haven’t done it yet, send a letter or make a call of thanks to Peterson and Goodlatte.
Unbelievable! Incredible! Awesome!
That about sums it up…
Thank you to EVERYONE who worked so hard, made phone calls and emails.
This is incredible!!!
I believe that we have become a force to be reckoned with…
Not to take that lightly, there are those that want to limit grassroots influence. Nevertheless, at this point in time we are SUCCESSFUL!
Keep up the pressure. Our elected officials need to keep feeling the heat.
Thank you all. This victory, no matter how small, fuels the fire. They do listen when enough of us speak…
Comment Valerie — July 27, 2007 @ 1:51 am
This is very Good News, But hate to be a party pooper, but what about the States and NAIS?
Comment Gisela — July 27, 2007 @ 2:09 am
Being involved in this fight on a daily basis it is easy to get frustrated and discouraged.
But a bit of news like this is like the sun peeking through after a long cold winter.
Take a moment and savor the taste of victory,even a small one,this will all come out for our good as long as we keep at it,folks told me that we would lose this issue,that Peterson is just too determined to see this through with USDA,ahhhh…..wrong answer,we can win and they can lose,keep the pressure up,don’t quit,thanks!
“Live free or die tryin”
Comment LEE — July 27, 2007 @ 8:13 am
I’ve been watching the Farm Bill debate on CSPAN. In all truth, I’ll be very surprised if it passes.
If you listen to or watch it, remember this…every time they talk about the family farm they are really talking about agribiz.
As I understand it (which means I don’t really understand it at all), Nancy Pelosi did some last minute deal making yesterday (from NPR: Republicans are also angry at a last minute tax hike affecting foreign owned companies that democrats inserted into the measure to fund increases in food stamps.) and the Republicans, including Goodlatte, stood up at the beginning of the debate and told the House not to vote for the bill.
For minute by minute action check out Blog for Rural America text
or
Floor Summary
Comment Henwhisperer — July 27, 2007 @ 9:09 am
This is great news! But what if “The Decider” decides to Veto it?
Meanwhile. . .It appears no database is secure, no scam too obvious and no agency safe. When will the Fed’s realize they can’t build the perfect system, and that not now and not ever should anyone trust them. Especially after this.
Comment Podchef — July 27, 2007 @ 9:21 am
I got this off another post and this person went to the House Appropriations Committee website:
http://appropriations.house.gov/ and found the summary for
the 2008 Ag Appropriations - You can download the document from the above website.In case it is moved/removed I do have a copy of it. The key section on NAIS is: IMPORTANT POLICY ITEMS Animal Identification: Does not provide new funding for the program because
USDA cannot justify money already appropriated. Drastic action is required as
this program is far too important to be allowed to continue to flounder. The
agency is directed to develop a detailed plan with measurable goals.
This must be Collin Peterson’s ‘ace in the hole’. I knew he gave in too
easily on the Farm Bill. I also read the Ag Appropriations Subcommittee press release (also attached)
and found this on page 3:Protecting Public Health
Maybe another emailing to the senators to make sure all funding for NAIS is STOPPED!
AgSummaryFC
Agric 07 12 07 Delauro PR
Comment Gisela — July 27, 2007 @ 12:23 pm
In MN on Aug 7 at 10:30am
FARMFEST in Redwood Cty MN:
US Ag Sec Mike Johanns, Rep Collin Peterson, Rep Tim Walz and Sen Norm Coleman
Comment LuAnn — July 27, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
See, I didn’t know anything after all.
Now we have to cowboy up and stay on top of the Senate version.
AgPress
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 27, 2007
AgPress
Media Contacts:
April Slayton (202) 225-6872
Scott Kuschmider (202) 225-1496
U.S. House of Representatives Passes Historic Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a new Farm Bill that makes historic investments in fruit and
vegetable production, conservation, nutrition and renewable energy while maintaining a strong safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers.
“This Farm Bill is about much more than farms. It is about the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and increasingly the fuel we will use. It assures that we will have a safe, strong food supply now and for years to come,” Chairman Peterson said.
“I am proud of the balanced and forward-looking Farm Bill that we have passed supporting conservation, nutrition, rural, renewable energy, labor, and farm country.”
Important highlights of the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) include:
. Investing more than $1.6 billion in priorities to strengthen and support the fruit and vegetable industry in the United States. A new section for Horticulture and Organic Agriculture includes nutrition, research, pest management and trade promotion programs.
. Implementing Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for fruit, vegetables and meat after years of delay.
. Expanding the USDA Snack Program, which helps schools provide healthy snacks to students during after-school activities to all 50 states and continuing the DOD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides a variety of fresh produce to schools.
. Strengthening and enhancing the food stamp program by reforming benefit rules to improve coverage of food costs and expand access to the program with additional funding support.
. Including key provisions that invest in rural communities nationwide, including economic development programs and access to broadband telecommunication services.
. Providing farmers participating in commodity programs with a choice between traditional price protection and new market-oriented revenue coverage payments.
. Strengthening payment limits to ensure that people making more than $1 million a year (adjusted gross income) can’t collect conservation and farm program payments and closing loopholes that allow people to avoid payment limits by receiving money through multiple business units.
. Extending and making significant new investments in popular conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, and many others.
. Making important new investments in renewable energy research, development and production in rural America.
. Rebalancing loan rates and target prices among commodities, achieving greater regional equity.
. Establishing a new National Agriculture Research Program Office to coordinate the programs and activities of USDA’s research agencies to minimize duplication and maximize coordination at all levels and creates a competitive grants program.
. Protecting and sustaining our nation’s forest resources.
The House of Representatives passed the 2007 Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) by a vote of 231-191. The Senate must now consider the Farm Bill. The 2002 Farm Bill expires on September 30, 2007.
Comment Henwhisperer — July 27, 2007 @ 2:35 pm