Argentinean Beef

There is a lot of talk about bringing in Argentinian beef to lower the price that consumers are paying. I understand why this might be the decision made and cannot object to it. But, it will hurt American farmers unless this imported beef is covered under Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling.

Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling would allow consumers to support American producers with confidence. I believe that many American consumers find value in buying domestically produced beef, even at a somewhat higher price. 

Some sources say that 85% of the beef consumed in America comes from one of four corporations, some of which have foreign ownership.

And, some sources say that over 80% of the grassfed beef sold in America is imported even though it's labeled "Product of the USA." These animals never walked a step on American soil. 

There are decades worth of corrections that should, and could, be made in the beef industry, and it's past time to get started.

Our country has an unprecedented problem in the way that our beef is provided. All three segments of the cattle and beef cycle are impacted- production, processing, and marketing:

• Production [farmers & ranchers]- during a "normal" market, cattle ranchers & farmers operate at pricing levels that are barely at breakeven. There is consistently little or no profit in producing live cattle for the market. This economic problem results from the consolidation of packers since world war ii. marketers have taken more and more of the beef retail dollar resulting in live cattle producers becoming poorer and poorer. Many of these producers have chosen to give up the business, or have lost so much money that they had to.
  
  
• Processing [packers]- consolidation in this portion of the market has been incredible. Today, four packers control 85% of the market. These companies are now free to source cattle and / or beef from the cheapest markets in the world and sell the product into the most profitable markets in the world.
  
  
• Marketing [retail sellers]- consolidation in this segment has also been incredible. Large grocery companies source commodity beef from large packers at incredible volume levels. The word commodity is important here. When a product becomes a commodity the only goal is to continually lower the price while meeting the minimum required standards.

In this marketing system the incentive for maximizing quality is abandoned. The system is all about taking costs out of the system. There is little or no consideration of:

• The environmental impact of the cattle or beef production system. [land, air, water].
• The economic impact on rural American farms & communities.
• The welfare of the animals.
• The nutritional and health impact on consumers.
• The effect on species endangerment.
• The standard of living of workers in the farm & meat workers.
• Many, many other considerations.

There is a lot wrong with the industry that provides us with our beef.

- Will Harris