However, reports of the presence of FMD in Argentina surfaced during the summer of 2000. The U.S. Department of Agriculture acted too late in addressing this very real threat to U.S. agriculture. In addition, given the presence of FMD in Argentina well before February 19, R-CALF questions whether this policy might still threaten health of U.S. cattle herds. Given the grave threat that FMD poses to the U.S. cattle industry, as well as to other livestock producers, R-CALF would like to emphasize strongly to Ways and Means Committee members its concerns with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's policy. In an issue related to rules of origin, R-CALF strongly supports country of origin labeling of meat.
Consumers have the right to know from where the beef they consume was derived.
R-CALF believes that beef labeled as a product of the United States should be beef from cattle born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States. Again, the current international spread of cattle diseases has only heightened the need for country of origin labeling and tracking. Yet they have been unable as an industry to differentiate their product from imported product for the U.S. consumer. The EU and Beef Hormones R-CALF remains concerned about the refusal of the European Union to open its market to beef derived from cattle treated with growth promoting hormones. The outcome of the beef hormone dispute at the WTO has resulted in U.S. cattle producers having limited faith in the ability of the WTO dispute settlement process to open foreign markets to U.S. products.