Country of Origin Labeling
Beef

Study's authors tell COOL proponents to keep research results in perspective, Rod Smith, Feedstuffs, 5/28/03 - The authors of a study that has been quoted widely as proof that consumers want and will pay for country-of-origin labeling (COOL) have said those interests making such a claim should cut it out.
The study, conducted by researchers at Colorado State University and the University of Nebraska, reported that consumers surveyed in the study said they favored COOL and were willing to pay premiums for meat products that were labeled as to their country of origin. COOL proponents, in e-mails sent to livestock producers, legislators and other people, said this was "overwhelming evidence" of the demand for COOL.
In a statement May 15, the authors said data in the study were extrapolated beyond the scope of the study.

NPPC begins COOL series with paper saying law will be hard on family farms, Rod Smith, Feedstuffs, 5/19/03 - U.S.-origin label won't command premiums - They explained how beef is priced on the last steak that's sold, not the first, and noted that more than 90% of roasts and steaks consumed in the U.S. are from U.S.-born, raised and slaughtered cattle. Accordingly, even if as many as 75% of consumers actually look for U.S.-origin labels, demand still will be less than supply, they said, and U.S.-origin beef will be priced at commodity levels.
Getting to label begins soon for cattle producers - Cow/calf producers will need to begin providing origin verification on their calves in the near future if they are to qualify for U.S.-origin labels after backgrounding, feeding and processing and reaching retail stores as beef in the fall of 2004, according to John Lawrence, an agriculture economist at Iowa State University and director of the Iowa Beef Center.

Differing parties speak to problems, opportunities for producers in COOL, Rod Smith, Feedstuffs, 5/5/03 - "The country-of-origin labeling law (COOL) "is rife with problems," according to Gary Machan, vice president for hog procurement at Tyson Foods Inc., and "is simple" to implement, manage and verify, according to Jay Miller, a cow/calf producer from Washington, Va., and chair of the marketing committee of R-Calf USA."

Country of Origin Labeling: What Does It Mean For The Nebraska Meat Industries?, Darrell R. Mark and Dillon M. Feuz. - A review of COOL by the University of Nebraska

Country of origin labeling guidelines, Gary May, AgDM newsletter article, October 2002 - A summary of the COOL voluntary guidelines by Gary May at Iowa State University.

COOL called response to issue that's cattle industry's least problem, Rod Smith, Feedstuffs, , 4/21/03 - "Country-of-origin labeling (COOL) will cost the entire beef industry and threaten the survivability of family farms and smaller ranches, according to veteran beef industry observer Andy Gottschalk at Hedgersedge.com here."

Consumers Willing To Pay For COOL Beef Products, 4/8/03 - “A large percentage of beef consumers appear willing to pay a premium for products with country-of-origin labeling (COOL). In a paper released last week entitled ‘Country-of-Origin Labeling of Beef Products: U.S. Consumers' Perceptions,’ Wendy Umberger of Colorado Sate University says research indicates 75% of consumers surveyed preferred to purchase a beef product identified by COOL -- with the majority of consumers (73%) willing to pay an 11% and 24% premium for COOL of steak and hamburger, respectively.”

COOL start-up costs put at $9 billion; AMS issues listening dates, locations, Rod Smith, Feedstuffs, April 7, 2003 - "For those who argue that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) was way off base in estimating costs of paperwork to implement the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rule at $2 billion, Dr. Ernie Davis at Texas A&M University has put the total start-up costs for just the beef industry at near $9 billion -- and he said that's a conservative, incomplete projection."

COOL — Preparing for the unmanageable, Wes Ishmael, Beef, Apr 1, 2003 - “Let me make sure I understand this right. If the country of origin labeling (COOL) law stands and the industry isn't in compliance come the end of September 2004, then retailers will have no domestic beef to sell, and food service will be able to buy beef cheap because there will be such a glut of it?”

What Iowa Beef Producers Need to Know About County of Origin Labeling, Wendy Miller, Iowa Beef Center, 2/25/03 - "Beef producers have heard a lot about Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and it's ramifications lately. What hasn't been specifically outlined, however, is what changes if any need to be made and how exactly beef producers will implement these changes practically on their farms."

Facts present sobering message on COOL to cattle industry convention, Rod Smith, Feedstuffs, February 10, 2003 - "Call it the country-of-origin reality week. A happy high that a mandated country-of-origin label that will be required on beef products beginning late next year became a hard realization for beef cattle producers here two weeks ago when they found out that the label will be an expense, liability and pro-poultry rule that was never envisioned by those who clamored for a mandatory origin label that they argued would improve the competitiveness of U.S. beef over beef imported from other countries."

COOL has implications for the U.S. beef industry, Nevil C. Speer, Western Kentucky University, Feedstuffs, January 27, 2003 - "Success of the COOL program will be evaluated in two ways -- its ability to provide consumers with meaningful information and create value at a reasonable cost, and the program's capacity to provide U.S. beef producers with a comparative advantage over their foreign competitors."

Country-of-Origin Labeling - A good idea or a producer nightmare? You be the judge... Lana Robinson, Texas Agriculture, 1/17/03 - "Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it-and more! That's what some producers and others are saying about recent developments in USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service plan with regard to country-of-origin (COOL) labeling. What began as a concept to distinguish American-grown meat, produce and fish from those of other countries is quickly evolving into an identification system of sorts."

The Age of Cool, John Maday, Drovers, January 2003 - "The Agricultural Marketing Act, as amended by the 2002 Farm Bill, requires retailers to inform consumers about the country of origin of all covered commodities, including fresh beef. That might sound simple, but compliance involves much more than a grocer slapping a label on a package of meat."

Food Fight Continues, Diana Barto, Beef, 9/1/02 - “At a time when patriotism is vogue, you might assume putting the words “Made in the U.S.A.” on a package of top sirloins in your local grocery store would spur anything but controversy. But you'd be wrong.”

Country of Origin Labeling Beef

Country of Origin Labeling
Beef