December 2, 2014

The Honorable Barbara Mikulski The Honorable Richard Shelby Chairwoman Ranking Member Senate Appropriations Committee Senate Appropriations Committee The Capitol S-128 The Capitol S-146-A Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairwoman Mikulski and Ranking Member Shelby:

The undersigned 207 farm, ranch, rural, faith, labor, environmental, farmworker, manufacturing and consumer organizations urge the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee to reject any effort to weaken, suspend or rescind mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) in the upcoming legislation to provide funding for the federal government for the remainder or part of Fiscal Year 2015.

American consumers are increasingly interested in understanding more about the origins of their food and the public overwhelmingly supports Country of Origin Labeling. The commonsense COOL labels that are in place today provide additional and more accurate information about where their food comes from. Farmers are proud of the food they put on American dinner tables and support the current COOL labels that allow consumers to make more informed food purchasing decisions.

Congress enacted COOL in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills in response to the broad-based support for these sensible labels. Since 2008, the World Trade Organization has been weighing a dispute over COOL that will most likely continue past the end of Fiscal Year 2015. The WTO has ruled that COOL labels are legitimate but continues to weigh the implementation of the labeling requirements. Importantly, in each successive deliberation, the WTO has been increasing receptive to the legitimacy of the Congressionally mandated labels.

Congress should not short circuit the WTO process; nor should it unconditionally surrender to the threats of tariff retaliation by our trading partners. We believe the has strong grounds to appeal the most recent WTO ruling. Last week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative officially announced it would appeal the latest ruling.

The Senate rejected efforts to weaken COOL in the 2014 Farm Bill and the FY 2015 Agricultural Appropriations measure. Indeed, the Farm Bill added venison to the list of products that receive the COOL label. We do not believe that Congress should make any legislative change to weaken, suspend or rescind COOL at this juncture; nor do we believe it is appropriate to make legislative changes to these popular labels outside of the full view of the American public as the Appropriations Committee leadership negotiates the upcoming spending legislation. We urge you to reject any effort to undermine these commonsense labels.

Sincerely,

Agricultural Missions, Inc. (NY) American Federation of Government Employees (AFL- Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association CIO), Local 3354, USDA-St. Louis American Agri-Women American Grassfed Association American Agriculture Movement American Outdoor Products (CO) American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association Farm Aid Angelic Organics Learning Center (IL) Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance Arkansas Farmers Union Farmworker Association of Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake County (OH) Farmers' Union Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Astronaut Foods (CO) Fund Atlantic States Legal Foundation, Inc. (NY) Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc. Backpacker's Pantry (CO) Food & Water Watch Berks (PA) Gas Truth Food Chain Workers Alliance Buckeye Quality Beef Association (OH) Food Democracy Now! Dairy Campaign Friends of the Earth U.S. California Farmers Union Georgia Organics Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform Glenn Miller Seed, Inc. (OR) Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment Global Justice Ecology Project Caney Fork Headwaters Association (TN) Government Accountability Project Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (NC) Grassroots International Cattle Producers of Louisiana Hawaii Farmers Union United Cattle Producers of Washington Hmong National Development, Inc. Center for Family Farm Development (GA) Idaho Organization of Resource Councils Center for Food Safety Illinois Agri-Women Center for Media and Democracy's Food Rights Network Illinois Farmers Union Center for Rural Affairs Illinois Stewardship Alliance Central Co-op (WA) Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I- Chicago Consumer Coalition BAND) Church Women United in State Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska Citizen Action Coalition of Indiana Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming The CJD Foundation Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas Cleanwater Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin Indian Nations Conservation Alliance Coalition for a Prosperous America Indiana Farmers Union Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Colorado Spice International Brotherhood of Teamsters Communication Workers of America Local 1082 (NJ) International Texas Longhorn Association Community Farm Alliance (KY) Intertribal Agriculture Council Community Food and Justice Coalition (CA) Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Consumer Action Iowa Farmers Union Consumer Assistance Council, Inc. Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (MD) Consumer Federation of America Kansas Cattlemen’s Association Consumer Federation of California Kansas Farmers Union The Consumer Federation of the Southeast The Kitchen Community (CO) Consumers Union The Land Connection (IL) Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias Land Stewardship Project (MN) The Cornucopia Institute Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, Cornucopia Network NJ/TN Chapter Teachers College Columbia University (NY) Crawford Stewardship Project (WI) Loretto Earth Network (CO) Crowley-Kiowa-Lincoln (CO) Stock Growers Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Cumberland Countians for Ecojustice (TN) (MOFGA) Dakota Resource Council Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society Dakota Rural Action of SD Marais River Livestock Association (MT) Delmar Farmers Market (NY) Massachusetts Consumers' Council, Inc. Dock to Dish (NY) Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (WI) East New York Farms!/United Community Centers Farmers Union Eco-Justice Ministries (CO) Midwest Organic Dairy Producers Association Ecological Farming Association (CA) Farmers Union The Ecology Party of Florida Minnesota State National Farmers Organization Equal Exchange Mississippi Assoc. of Cooperatives Ethical Eating Task Force (CO) Missouri Farmers Union Fair World Project (OR) Missouri Rural Crisis Center Family Farm Defenders (WI) Missouri’s Best Beef Cooperative Montana Farmers Union Pennsylvania Farmers Union Murray County (OK) Independent Cattlemen's Pennypack Farm and Education Center (PA) Association Pesticide Action Network North America National Consumers League Powder River Basin Resource Council (WY) National Family Farm Coalition Progressive Agriculture Organization (PA) National Farmers Organization Public Citizen National Farmers Union R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry Ranch Foods Direct (CO) National Hmong American Farmers, Inc. Raritan Headwaters Association (NJ) National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association Real Food for Kids - Montgomery (MD) National Organic Coalition Real Men Charities, Inc. National Women Involved in Farm Economics Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association National Young Farmers Coalition (NY) Nature Abounds (PA) Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Nebraska Farmers Union Rooted in Community (CA) Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society Roots of Change (CA) Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility (RAFI-USA) of United Church of Christ Rural and Agricultural Council of America Nevada Live Stock Association Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural New England Farmers Union (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, Rural VT) Sister Eden (MD) New Jersey State Industrial Union Council Small Planet Institute New York Women Involved in Farm Economics South Dakota Farmers Union N. Carolina Assoc. of Black Lawyers, Land Loss South Dakota Livestock Auction Markets Association Prevention Project South Dakota Stockgrowers Association North Dakota Farmers Union Texas Farmers Union Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance Tilth Producers of Washington Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. - MA Tooling, Manufacturing and Technologies Assoc. (MI) Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. - NH Transition Newton & Northwest NJ Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. - NJ U.S. Cattlemen's Association Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. - NY United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries Northeast Organic Farming Assoc. - RI Valley Organic Growers Association (CO) Northeast Organic Farming Association, Interstate Virginia Association for Biological Farming Council (NOFA-IC) Virginia Citizens Consumer Council Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Walter's Signs (NJ) Northern Plains Resource Council (MT) Western Colorado Congress Northern Wisconsin Beef Producers Assoc. Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (MA) WhyHunger Northwest Farm Bill Action Group Williams County Alliance (OH) Northwest Farmers Union Wisconsin Farmers Union Northwest Forest Worker Alliance (CA, OR & WA) Women, Food and Agriculture Network Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance Ohio Farmers Union Consumers League Oregon Rural Action Organic Consumers Association Organic Farmers' Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) Organic Seed Alliance Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) Organization for Competitive Markets Partnership for Earth Spirituality PCC Natural Markets (WA) Peach Bottom Concerned Citizens Group (PBCCG) (PA)