April 2, 2013

The Honorable Thomas J. Vilsack Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

The undersigned 229 farm, rural, faith, environmental and consumer organizations write in strong support of a regulatory change to the Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for meat that will provide consumers with additional and more accurate information about the source of their food. The information age has touched nearly every part of daily life in the . Americans want to know more about just about everything they own or consume, and that includes knowing the origins of their food.

More than 20 state legislatures are considering bills that demand more information about how food is produced and gets passed along to the consumer through labeling. These legislative efforts as well as enthusiasm for local food systems are clear indications that consumers want more information about their food, especially where it was produced.

In 2002, after years of effort by consumers and farmers, mandatory country-of-origin labels for meats, poultry, vegetables, fruits, and some nuts were included in the Farm Bill, which were then expanded in 2008. A recent ruling at the World Trade Organization (WTO) required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to change the regulations that implement COOL in order to comply with the WTO restrictions.

The only acceptable way to respond to the WTO challenge is to make labels more informative for consumers, not water them down. U.S. farmers and ranchers are proud of what they produce and should be allowed to promote their products. Consumers deserve clear, direct, and informative labels. Providing more accurate labels with more information is a win-win situation for producers and consumers alike.

Our organizations urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen the rules for COOL, which will allow farmers and ranchers to take pride in their products and allow the American public to know the origins of their food and make more informed food purchasing decisions.

Sincerely,

Organizations

350 Berks & Lehigh Valley Climate Action (PA) Ambler Environmental Advisory Council Abby's Health and Nutrition (FL) Ambler Food Coop (PA) Adams Farm Slaughterhouse (MA) American Agriculture Movement Agricultural Missions, Inc. (NY) American Corn Growers Institute for Public Policy Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association American Federation of Government Employees Farmers Union (AFL-CIO), Local 3354, USDA-St. Louis Alliance for a Sustainable Future (PA) American Grassfed Association American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association Family Farm Defenders American Sheep Industry Association Farm Aid Arizona Consumers Council Foundation Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance Arkansas Farmers Union Farmworker Association of Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake County (OH) Farmers' Union Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund Berks (PA) Gas Truth Florida School of Holistic Living Bull Mountain Land Alliance (MT) Food & Water Watch Dairy Campaign Food Chain Workers Alliance California Farmers Union Food Democracy Now! California State Grange Food for Maine's Future Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform Friends of the Earth U.S. Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment Genesis Farm (NJ) Caney Fork Headwaters Association (TN) Global Organic Specialty Source, Inc. Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (NC) Going Green Tampa Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri GRACE Communications Foundation Cattle Producers of Louisiana Hawaii Farmers Union Cattle Producers of Washington Healthy Communities Consulting Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Registry Healthy Farms Healthy People Coalition Center for Earth Spirituality and Rural Ministry (MN) Hmong National Development, Inc. Center for Food Safety The Home Grown Institute Center for International Policy-Americas Program Illinois Farmers Union Center for Media and Democracy's Food Rights Network Illinois Stewardship Alliance Center for Rural Affairs Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND) Central Co-op (WA) Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska Cheyenne Area Landowners Coalition (WY) Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming Chicago Consumer Coalition Indian Nations Conservation Alliance Church Women United of State Indiana Farmers Union Citizen Action Coalition of Indiana Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Citizens for Sanity.Com, Inc. (FL) International Texas Longhorn Association The CJD Foundation Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Coalition for a Prosperous America Iowa Farmers Union Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (MD) Community Farm Alliance (KY) Kansas Cattlemen’s Association Community Food and Justice Coalition (CA) Kansas Farmers Union ConnPIRG LaMontanita Food Coop (NM) Consumer Assistance Council, Inc. Land Loss Prevention Project Consumer Federation of America Land Stewardship Project (MN) The Consumer Federation of the Southeast Made in the USA Foundation, Inc. Consumers Union Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias (MOFGA) The Cornucopia Institute Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society Cornucopia Network NJ/TN Chapter Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Cottonwood Resource Council (MT) Massachusetts Consumers' Coalition Cuatro Puertas (NM) Metropolitan Organizign Stragey Enabling Strength Dakota Resource Council (MOSES, MI) Dakota Rural Action of SD Farmers Union Dawson Resource Council (MT) Michigan Land Trustees EarthSave Miami MichUCAN East New York Farms!/United Community Centers Midwest Environmental Advocates (WI) Ecological Farming Association (CA) Farmers Union The Ecology Party of Florida Mississippi Assoc. of Cooperatives Endangered Habitats League (CA) Missouri Farmers Union Environmental Health Watch (OH) Missouri National Farmers Organization Equal Exchange Missouri Rural Crisis Center Fair Food Matters (MI) Missouri’s Best Beef Cooperative FairShare CSA Coalition (WI) Mo Betta Green Marketplace (CO) Montana Farmers Union Pesticide Action Network North America Murray County (OK) Independent Cattlemen's Association Plan it 4 Planet (MI) Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative (OK) Powder River Basin Resource Council (WY) National Association of Counties Progress Ohio National Association of Farm Animal Welfare Progressive Agriculture Organization (PA) National Catholic Rural Life Conference ProgressNow New Mexico National Consumers League Public Citizen National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America National Family Farm Coalition Rainbow Natural Grocery (MS) National Farmers Organization Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, Western American National Farmers Union Province National Grange Religious Sisters of Charity National Hmong American Farmers, Inc. The Resiliance Hub/Portland Maine Permaculture National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association Revisional International (CO) National Organic Coalition Rocky Mountain Farmers Union National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Rosebud Protective Association (MT) National Wildlife Federation Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA National Women Involved in Farm Economics (RAFI-USA) Nature Abounds (PA) Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural Nebraska Farmers Union Rural Development Leadership Network (NY) Nebraska State Grange Rural Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society The Second Chance Foundation Nebraska Wildlife Federation Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia (PA) Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics (NE Slow Food Nebraska WIFE) Small Planet Institute Nevada Live Stock Association South Dakota Farmers Union New England Farmers Union South Dakota Sheep Growers Association New Entry Sustainable Farming Project South Dakota Stockgrowers Association North Dakota Farmers Union Southwest Environmental Center (NM) Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance Sustain LA Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. - CT Sustainable Food Center (TX) Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. - NH Sustainable Living Systems Northeast Organic Farming Association, Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assoc. Interstate Council (NOFA-IC) Tooling, Manufacturing and Technologies Assoc. Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Trappe Landing Farm & Native Sanctuary Northern Plains Resource Council (MT) U.S. Cattlemen's Association Northern Wisconsin Beef Producers U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (MA) United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries Oglala Sioux Livestock and Land Owners Association (SD) UrbiCulture Community Farms (CO) Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance Utah Farmers Union Ohio Farmers Union Virginia Association for Biological Farming Farmers Union Virginia Citizens Consumer Council Oregon Rural Action Washington Biotechnology Action Council Organic Consumers Association Washington Farmers Union Organic Farmers' Agency for Relationship Marketing Weiser River Resource Council (ID) (OFARM) Western Colorado Congress Organic Seed Alliance Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Organic Valley WhyHunger Organically Grown Company (OR) Willimantic Food Cooperative (CT) Organization for Competitive Markets Winter Garden Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (TX) Partnership for Earth Spirituality Wisconsin Farmers Union Peach Bottom Concerned Citizens Group (PBCCG) (PA) Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE) Pennsylvania Farmers Union Women, Food and Agriculture Network Pennypack Farm and Education Center (PA)