Country of Origin Labeling
Country of Origin Labeling2002 Farm Bill—Section 10816
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Program Description
This program calls for the labeling of meat, fruits, vegetables, peanuts and farm raised fish by its country of origin to allow U.S. consumers to know and choose the origin of their food.
Program Administration
The program is administered nationally by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). There will be partnerships with states for enforcement and administration of the labeling when it is mandatory. There are no details yet about the partnership with states.
Program Status
On October 11, 2002 AMS issued guidelines for retailers for voluntary country of origin labeling (http://www.ams.usda.gov/cool/ls0213.txt). The guidelines talk about what kinds of products can qualify to be labeled "produced in the USA," how to label products that are from multiple countries, what commodities are covered, and what kinds of paperwork and certification are required.
On Thursday, February 21, the Agricultural Marketing Service published a Federal Register Notice (Vo. 67, No. 225, pp. 70205-70206) in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, estimating the costs for record-keeping for the voluntary program at more than $2 billion dollars. The estimate has been criticized by supporters of Country of Origin labeling as a wildly inflated guess unsupported by facts or serious analysis, and designed to scare consumers about the potential costs of labeling. The comment period on the notice ends January 21, but a 90-day extension has been requested.
The 2002 Farm Bill directs the Secretary to establish a mandatory program no later than September 30, 2004.
How the Program is Funded
The money for the administration of the act is through the USDA's budget for regulatory actions, and for enforcement through the Food Safety Inspection Service.
How the Program Works
Retailers who wish to participate in the voluntary program must follow the voluntary program guidelines concerning covered commodities, and how commodities of various origins must be labeled. Participants in the voluntary program, as well as producers, processors and retailers of covered commodities under the mandatory program, must keep records sufficient to determine and certify the origin of covered commodities.
Who to Contact
John Smillie, Program Director
Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC)
http://www.worc.org
Bill Bullard, R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America
(406) 252-2516,
http://www.rcalf.com
Marty Mesh, Florida Organic Growers and Consumers
(352) 377-6345,
http://www.foginfo.org
© 2007-2008 National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.