Billings, Mont.– Today, R-CALF USA posted petitions on both its Facebook page and on its Website that calls on the Secretary of Agriculture to terminate all contracts between the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Beef Checkoff Program.  The group is circulating the petition because it believes it is a blatant conflict of interest for NCBA to receive millions of dollars of federally-mandated Beef Checkoff Program funds while it simultaneously files a lawsuit to eliminate or weaken the widely popular country of origin labeling (COOL) law.

“It is outrageous that a group that feeds at the government trough is allowed to file a lawsuit to stop consumers from knowing where their food is produced,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard adding, “We are circulating these petitions so livestock producers and consumers can voice their opposition and offer a solution to this unconscionable situation.” 

The public can sign the Facebook petition at:  https://www.causes.com/actions/1756494-defend-country-of-origin-labeling-against-attack-by-a-government-funded-organization. 

An abbreviated, hard-copy petition can be downloaded and printed at:  https://www.r-calfusa.com/Checkoff/130711PetitionToVilsackNoContractsNCBAandCheckoff.pdf

Bullard said his group is circulating a printable petition so livestock producers and consumers can gather signatures within their local communities and at public gathering places such as livestock auction yards.   

“Our goal is to submit the completed petitions to the Secretary of Agriculture on September 1,” he said. 

The Facebook petition states: 

“We, the undersigned citizens of the United States, believe it is a blatant conflict of interest, if not outright unlawful, for the largest recipient of federally mandated Beef Checkoff Program funds to simultaneously sue the federal government to weaken or eliminate the widely popular country of origin labeling (COOL) law. Therefore, we hereby petition the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately and permanently terminate all contracts between the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Beef Checkoff Program.  

“Each time a cow is sold the seller must pay one dollar into the Beef Checkoff. The seller has no control over where this mandatory fee goes. The largest recipient of the federally mandated Beef Checkoff Program funds is the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Recently, the NCBA filed a lawsuit to eliminate or weaken COOL. It is a clear conflict of interest for an organization funded by cattle producers to turn around and fight against their interests and the interests of U.S. consumers. Therefore, we are petitioning the Secretary of Agriculture to terminate all contracts between the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the federally mandated Beef Checkoff Program. 

“U.S. livestock producers and U.S. consumers worked together for longer than a decade to pass and implement COOL so U.S. consumers would know where the meat they purchase for their families was born, raised and slaughtered; and, so those same consumers could choose to support U.S. farmers and ranchers by purchasing meat exclusively of U.S. origin. 

“The action by NCBA of receiving federally mandated Beef Checkoff Program funds on the one hand and attacking the widely popular federal COOL law on the other hand is at the very least a blatant conflict of interest and very likely a violation of the law.

  “As citizens of the United States, we are appalled that an organization that receives funds through a government program is allowed to use those funds, either directly, indirectly or by appearance, to initiate a lawsuit to attack the federal COOL law that is widely supported by U.S. livestock producers and U.S. consumers.    

“We ask the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately and permanently terminate all contracts between the NCBA and the Beef Checkoff Program to end this obvious conflict of interest and possible unlawful activity that directly threatens the right of every U.S. citizen to know where the meat they purchase at retail stores for themselves and their families was born, raised, and slaughtered.” 

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R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) is the largest producer-only cattle trade association in the United States. It is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.