Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says if the United States loses its WTO appeal over country-of-origin labels (COOL) on meat sold in grocery stores, the only choice left will be repeal of the law or extensive changes in it. “That’s the deal,” Vilsack said during a news conference in San Diego. Lawmakers instructed USDA last month to report by May 1 on how to bring the COOL into compliance with world trade rulings. USDA rewrote COOL rules in 2013 after losing a WTO case brought by Mexico and Canada. The two nations challenged the revised rules and won again last fall.
The latest iteration calls for labels that say where beef, pork and poultry meat was born, raised and slaughtered. WTO says the rules amount to a trade barrier. If that decision holds, Vilsack says, COOL may need to be rescinded or Congress must “come up with a different direction” that allows “a more generic labeling that does not require segregation” of livestock.
Vilsack said 34,170 farms have begun the process of selecting a crop subsidy program under the 2014 farm law. Growers of grains and oilseeds can opt for a traditionally structured program or one that mimics revenue insurance. The deadline for enrollment is March 31.
To listen to Vilsack’s news conference, click here. The audio recording runs 43 minutes.