Canadian Ag Minister, Gerry Ritz Turns up the Heat with U.S. Congress to End COOL Dispute

Nov 22, 2013

U.S. Meat Labelling Rules, COOL, Come in Effect Saturday [Nov. 23]

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

COOL isn’t so cool for Canadian livestock producers.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz continues to pressure U.S. Congress to put an end to the U.S. Country of Origin Labelling dispute, also known as COOL.

This week Ritz met with American lawmakers, including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, in Washington D.C. to talk about COOL. The expanded version of the COOL policy will come into effect Saturday with new requirements that will hurt Canadian livestock producers. COOL was first introduced in 2008, but an expanded version was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in May of 2013, and was put on hold until now.

The 2013 version requires meat products to be labelled to include information on where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. The rule also forbids the common industry practice of “comingling” meat cuts. U.S. meat packers argue that they can’t afford to sort, label and store meat from Canada differently than meat from the United States.

Ritz maintains that the most effective solution to COOL lies with the Farm Bill. Congress is currently negotiating a new Farm Bill; an amendment to the bill could repeal COOL. To date, several World Trade Organization (WTO) challenges have ruled in favour of Canada. Minister Ritz has said Canada will consider further legal challenges, including retaliatory trade restrictions against certain U.S. products.

Country of Orgin Labelling (COOL) Timeline:

• 2002 – Mandatory country of origin wording was included in the U.S. Farm Bill
• 2003 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture created a rule requiring labeling that said where production points occurred in various countries e.g. born, raised and slaughtered
• 2008 – U.S. Congress introduced amendments in 2008 Farm Bill that aimed at addressing ways to make COOL less of an issue
• 2009 – COOL rule took effect
• 2009 – Canada and Mexico file a complaint against the U.S. to the WTO making the case that COOL violates trade commitments
• 2011 – WTO sides in favour of Canada and Mexico
• 2012 – WTO finds U.S. out of compliance
• 2012 – the WTO sets a compliance date (May 23, 2013)
• 2013 – the dispute is unresolved

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.