Sen. Cory Booker Continues His Beef With The Beef Industry

NEWARK, NJ — “Product of the USA?” That’s a term with a big gray area when it comes to beef, according to U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.

On Thursday, Booker and several of his peers in the U.S. Senate released details about a bill they’ve dubbed the “American Beef Labeling Act,” which would reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef.

Booker, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and one of New Jersey’s most well-known vegans, made Thursday’s bipartisan announcement alongside senators John Thune and Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Jon Tester of Montana.

“Americans should know exactly where their beef is coming from, but current USDA labeling practices allow big meatpacking companies to falsely label imported beef as being a product of the USA,” Booker said. “I’m proud to join colleagues in this bipartisan legislation that will restore mandatory country of origin labelling for all beef products and provide fairness for our family farmers and ranchers.”

According to a statement from Booker:

“If passed, the legislation would require the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, to develop a World Trade Organization-compliant means of reinstating MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment. The USTR would have six months to develop a reinstatement plan followed by a six-month window to implement it. If the USTR fails to reinstate MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment, it would automatically be reinstated for beef only.”

The senator’s effort got a thumbs up from Joe Maxwell, president of Family Farm Action Alliance.

“For our food system to be truly competitive, Congress has to stop big meatpackers’ deception and protect honest producers and consumers,” Maxwell said.

It isn’t the first time in recent history that Booker, a Newark resident, has taken on the beef industry.

In July, Booker reintroduced legislation that he says will "create a level playing field" for independent family farmers across the nation: the Farm System Reform Act. Among other actions, it would place an immediate moratorium on new and expanding factory farms, with plans to phase out the largest by 2040.

The proposed farm reform law has picked up support from two of Booker's high-profile peers in the Senate, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts – both co-sponsors to the bill.

• See related article: Time To Fix A 'Broken' U.S. Farm System, Sen. Cory Booker Says
• See related article: U.S. Food System Was 'Broken' Long Before Pandemic: Booker, Warren

The senator’s efforts to change the beef industry haven’t gone unchallenged, however.

After Booker reintroduced the Farm System Reform Act, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association immediately fired back, blasting the bill as “misguided.” One executive went a step further, calling it a “broad, jumbled mess.”

“95 percent of cattle raised in the United States visit a feedyard,” said Ethan Lane, the group’s vice president of government affairs. “Feeding operations aren't antithetical to small, family-owned farms and ranches — they're part and parcel of the same, symbiotic supply chain that produces the most nutritious, sustainable beef in the world.”

"Cattle feeders respond efficiently to meet a wide range of consumer demands, and that efficiency is one of the main reasons why the United States has had the lowest beef GHG emissions intensity in the world for 25 years," Lane added. "As our food supply chain is taxed by a growing number of mouths to feed at home and abroad, this efficient production system will be more vital than ever."

But Booker’s quest to reform the industry – including his latest effort to protect the “Product of the USA” label – has seen support from other industry voices.

“Both consumers and the nation’s cattle producers are being exploited because consumers don’t know where their beef comes from, and cattle producers can’t encourage consumers to purchase beef produced exclusively from their USA cattle,” said Bill Bullard, CEO of Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America.

“Senator Booker has long recognized this deficiency and has now cosponsored a bill to reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling for beef,” Bullard said. “On behalf of America’s independent cattle producers, R-CALF USA applauds [him] for his leadership in supporting this important legislation.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.