Page 80 - Spring2008

NAIS Update

FEDERAL AND STATE BATTLES OVER THE NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
By Judith McGeary

Informed farmers and consumers have feel USDA has not been aggressive enough in

been fighting the National Animal Identifi cation implementing NAIS. Many of the members of
System, or NAIS, for several years now. For new- the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee
comers, this is an agribusiness-government plan (which decides funding issues) have been led
to require every person who owns any livestock to believe that NAIS is a food safety measure,
animal to register their property with the state and so they are prepared to increase funding
and federal governments. The NAIS would cover if USDA shows greater success in using the
anyone who owns even one chicken, horse, cow, funds.
sheep, goat, pig, turkey, guinea, elk, deer, bison, During meetings with the key staff to these
or other livestock or poultry. The next phases of members of Congress, I have explained why
NAIS call for tagging each animal with a 15- NAIS is not a food safety measure. In reality,

digit identification number and reporting their NAIS will actually reduce food safety by favor-
movements to a database within 24 hours. The ing confi nement operations, reducing organic
burdens, in both time and money, would drive and grass-based operations, and leading to more
many grass-based farmers out of business, and consolidation of the food supply. Unfortunately,
consumers would lose much of their access to during a February, 2008 hearing, several mem-
nutrient-dense animal foods. bers of the subcommittee indicated that they
The USDA released its original plan for still think NAIS should be made mandatory. It
In NAIS in May 2005, sparking a grassroots outcry is critical that they hear from the public! See the

reality, NAIS that has spread across the country. USDA’s more sidebar to this article on page XX for contact in-
will reduce recent documents call for the program to be formation and how you can make a difference.
food safety implemented by the states, subject to the federal
guidelines and driven by federal funding. So the THE FARM BILL
by favoring fi ght to stop NAIS requires action at both the The Farm Bill is a massive bill passed
confinement federal and state levels. every five years, which provides for everything

operations, FEDERAL FUNDING FOR NAIS from Food Stamps to crop subsidies to conserva-
tion programs to energy policy. The 2007 Farm
reducing The good news is that we made signifi cant Bill involved NAIS, as well. As discussed in
organic and progress in stopping federal funding for NAIS. previous issues of Wise Traditions, the House
grass-based For the last three years, Congress has provided Agriculture Committee proposed implement-
$33 million of funding for NAIS each year. The ing mandatory animal identifi cation as part
operations, USDA requested that same amount of funding of Country of Origin Labeling, but the outcry
and lead- this year. But the omnibus spending bill passed from FARFA and other farming and consumer

ing to more by Congress in December 2007 contained only organizations kept that provision out.
$9.75 million in funding for NAIS. This is less
Unfortunately, the Senate proved to be a
consolida- than a third of the funding USDA wanted! more difficult forum for us. The Senate version

tion of the Behind the celebration, however, there is of the Farm Bill included Section 10305, which
food supply. cause for concern. Some members of Congress would require the USDA to adopt regulations
supported the reduced funding because they consistent with the Freedom of Information Act
80 Wise Traditions SPRING 2008