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Delegates focus on BSE, COOL and trade

Compiled by AFBF and OFBF staff

In light of the current situation with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), delegates at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting took several actions to improve food safety and bolster consumer confidence in the food supply.

"The delegates supported mandatory recalls, discussed treatment of nonambulatory animals, supported producer incentives and increased surveillance and supported an animal identification program," AFBF President Bob Stallman told reporters at the end of the annual meeting.

Delegates also reaffirmed their strong support for passage of the energy bill and said farm workers with legitimate documentation should be given the opportunity to earn legal authorization. They also supported trade agreements that provide a positive outcome for the whole of U.S. agriculture, but as always, said AFBF should continue to work to minimize economic damage to sensitive commodities.

The delegates said they continue to support country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for all agricultural products, but that implementation should occur in conjunction with an animal identification program.

"We still support the concept of country of origin labeling…I think our producers are a little more pragmatic and want to see how these – particularly the animal ID implementation – plays in to implementing a country of origin labeling program," Stallman said.

After reaffirming their policy supporting renewable energy sources such as ethanol, biodiesel, wind energy and biomass, the 425 delegates unanimously approved a sense-of-the-delegate-body proclamation urging "Congress to immediately pass an energy bill with a renewable fuel standard."

In action related to the current BSE situation, the delegates referred for further consideration to the AFBF board of directors a recommendation to ban from the food supply livestock that are "neurologically impaired or sick." They also asked the board to further consider a position that would allow into the food supply only animals that are nonambulatory due to hoof problems or shipping-type injuries. They also asked the board to consider support of an incentive program to "encourage the active monitoring, testing and holding of all non-ambulatory animals for BSE and other neurological diseases."

Regarding international trade, the delegates said Farm Bureau’s highest trade priority remains obtaining a successful conclusion to the multilateral Doha Round of the World Trade Organization negotiations. Delegates also said that agriculture’s best opportunity to address critical trade issues is in the multilateral arena.

Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Vice President of Government Affairs Keith Stimpert said OFBF will engage in trade education and watch for Doha progress and bilateral trade agreements for their impacts on Ohio farmers.

On the issue of COOL, the delegates continued to support a mandatory program, however, they wanted to consider the COOL provisions related to U.S. livestock and meat products when final rules are in place and a national animal identification program is created.

While continuing support for funding for the implementation of COOL, delegates expressed concern that the rules proposed by the agriculture department "do not adequately address producers’ concerns" in many areas, ranging from the cost and timeline of implementation to record keeping, liability and market transparency. Delegates also said any national animal identification system to help control animal disease and enhance food safety should include an adequate cost-share agreement among government, industry and producers.

In other actions, Farm Bureau’s delegates:

• Expressed support for providing a one-time opportunity for farm workers with apparently legitimate documentation to earn legal authorization if they fulfill appropriate prospective work requirements in agriculture. Delegates also voted to support amending the Fair Standards Labor Act to provide compensatory time in lieu of overtime pay for employees.
• Expressed support for a crop insurance program that would allow producers to opt out of crop insurance coverage with the provision that those who do so are not eligible for federal disaster payments for crop losses.
• Supported mandatory recall authority for USDA of meat products.

OFBF President Terry McClure said the Ohio delegation's voice was definitely heard during the policy session, and that Ohio spoke up the most regarding fair trade. "Farm Bureau was built on fair trade," he said, and added that in the most prosperous times for agriculture, "We were selling overseas." McClure also felt the delegates solidified good BSE policy.

To learn more about specific national policies, visit the American Farm Bureau Web site, www.fb.com

Caption: Ohio farmers were represented in Honolulu, and 16 board members served as voting delegates. Here Tim Williams, l, and Keith Truckor review the policy book before the session beings. Other delegates were Gale Betterly, Helen Caplinger, Steve Hess, Ellen Joslin, Randy Leis, Bill Lowe, Terry McClure, Bob Peterson, Brent Porteus, Sparky Weilnau, Merlin Wentworth, Andrew Wilson, Jeff Zellers and Steve Zumberge.