Congress to vote on delaying COOL until 2008
Congress to vote on delaying COOL until 2008
WASHINGTON -- House and Senate negotiators agreed Oct. 26 to delay the controversial mandatory country-of-origin program another two years for all commodities except seafood.
If it gains final approval, the bill would not require grocers to display origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables until September 2008.
"We are pleased with the delay because the existing law is so untenable," said Kathy Means of the Produce Marketing Association. But this doesn't fix anything, she said. "This is not a panacea or a silver bullet."
Leaders in the produce industry have been working on a compromise measure designed to establish a market-driven labeling program. That effort will continue, said Ms. Means, who hopes that the industry will focus on the proposed fix to COOL now that the two-year delay looks like it will become law.
United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association agreed. "Once this delay is passed and signed by the president, the industry can return its full attention to building widespread stakeholder support for a full and permanent compromise to help us put this issue to bed once and for all," said United's Robert Guenther.
But the news that COOL could be postponed until 2008 angered labeling proponents. "Another appropriations cycle and yet another outrageous scam by House Republicans to stall COOL," said Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), who represents ranchers who back the current labeling law.
Sen. Johnson called it a backroom deal that means COOL won't be debated again during the farm bill. "There are some that want a 'do-over' on COOL and want to kick it down the field until the next farm bill," he said. "Well, we won this debate during the last farm bill, and COOL is law."
The original spending bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture included a two-year delay for meat and meat products in the House version, but members of the conference committee agreed to extend the delay to all commodities except seafood.
If it gains final approval, the bill would not require grocers to display origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables until September 2008.
"We are pleased with the delay because the existing law is so untenable," said Kathy Means of the Produce Marketing Association. But this doesn't fix anything, she said. "This is not a panacea or a silver bullet."
Leaders in the produce industry have been working on a compromise measure designed to establish a market-driven labeling program. That effort will continue, said Ms. Means, who hopes that the industry will focus on the proposed fix to COOL now that the two-year delay looks like it will become law.
United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association agreed. "Once this delay is passed and signed by the president, the industry can return its full attention to building widespread stakeholder support for a full and permanent compromise to help us put this issue to bed once and for all," said United's Robert Guenther.
But the news that COOL could be postponed until 2008 angered labeling proponents. "Another appropriations cycle and yet another outrageous scam by House Republicans to stall COOL," said Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), who represents ranchers who back the current labeling law.
Sen. Johnson called it a backroom deal that means COOL won't be debated again during the farm bill. "There are some that want a 'do-over' on COOL and want to kick it down the field until the next farm bill," he said. "Well, we won this debate during the last farm bill, and COOL is law."
The original spending bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture included a two-year delay for meat and meat products in the House version, but members of the conference committee agreed to extend the delay to all commodities except seafood.
