Page 89 - Fall2020

Legislative Updates

FEDERAL POLICY UPDATE
By Judith McGeary, Esq.

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER state animal ID programs are connected to the
The USDA and Big Ag are “best friends federal one, in practical terms many farmers
forever,” but Congress and the courts might be will be forced to use these Radio Frequency
seeing the light. Identification Devices (RFID) tags even for
The last six months have opened many in-state movements. This is an attempt to push
people’s eyes to the fragility of the conventional through a piece of the National Animal Iden-
food system. Grocery store shelves went empty, tification System (NAIS)—a plan that USDA
first due to transportation and distribution prob- withdrew a decade ago under a storm of protest
lems, and then due to the closure of some of the from both farmers and consumers.
largest meatpackers in the country whose un- This expensive, intrusive and unreliable ID
sanitary operations are blamed for widespread system benefits two groups: the large meatpack-
Covid outbreaks among their workers. And ing corporations and the technology companies
while some family farmers are facing hardship that produce the electronic tags, readers and
from the loss of sales to restaurants and schools, software.
or cancelled on-farm events, record-breaking USDA and the meatpackers argue that
numbers of consumers are seeking out locally- traceability is about addressing animal disease
raised food. and food safety. But the vast majority of food-
The conventional system broke, while the borne illnesses in meat are the result of practices
local food system showed its resilience and flex- at the slaughterhouse and afterwards in the
ibility. Hopefully this experience will help lead processing and handling. Millions of pounds
to significant changes in our laws, regulations of meat have been recalled due to unsanitary
and government policies. But government insti- conditions and a lack of proper oversight at huge
tutions are slow to change, and the signs from slaughterhouses. Yet the animal ID program
Congress are mixed—while the signals from ends at the slaughterhouse door. RFID tags on Judith McGeary
is the Austin, Texas,
USDA show an agency as firmly entrenched cattle won’t do anything to increase food safety. chapter leader, an
with big agribusiness as ever. Nor will RFID tags make our animals attorney and
healthier. USDA continues to allow imports of small farmer, and the
USDA PUSHING MANDATORY livestock from countries with known disease executive director of
the Farm and Ranch
ELECTRONIC ANIMAL ID. . . AGAIN problems. In fact, this electronic ID plan is pri- Freedom Alliance.
We’ll start with the bad news on electronic marily designed to maximize corporate profits She has a B.S. in
animal ID. Right now independent family farm- by promoting exports and imports of animals biology from
ers are facing bankruptcy while consumers are and meat—further increasing the risk of intro- Stanford University
and a J.D. from the
facing record high meat prices, all due to the ducing and spreading diseases. University of Texas
highly consolidated meat industry, which is And while the large companies that export at Austin. She and
controlled by a handful of large meatpacking and import meat will benefit, the cost will be her husband
corporations. But rather than support small borne by the farmers and ranchers. Traditional run a small
grass-based farm
farmers, USDA is again pushing a plan that was metal ear tags cost about ten cents each, and the with sheep, cattle,
written by and for the benefit of agribusiness, USDA provides them to farmers for free. The horses and poultry.
and in particular the same big meatpackers. agency estimates the cost to farmers for RFID For more
This summer USDA announced that it in- tags will be $2-$2.60 per head. That doesn’t information, go to
farmandranch
tends to mandate electronic identification tags seem like much, but that translates to sales for freedom.org or
for cattle that cross state lines. And since many the tag manufacturers of tens of millions of dol- call (254) 697-2661.

FALL 2020 Wise Traditions 87