AFF Sentinel Vol.5#28

With typical, union-style strong-arm tactics, a labor union has attacked an entire natural beef production chain in a campaign making impossible demands.

The United Farm Workers' (UFW) tactics are threatening ugly supply and financial repercussions on food retailers, foodservice operators and cattlemen in an effort to unionize an Oregon feedlot. Exploiting a loophole in Oregon law that does not protect agricultural employers in the state, the union is using tactics - attempting a secondary boycott -- that would be considered unethical and illegal under labor relations law in most states.

AFF Sentinel Vol.5#27

A television pilot pitched to the networks with the twists and surprises of South Korea's recent food and political wars would have been rejected as surreal.

AFF Sentinel Vol.5#26

R-CALF Casts Their Bogeyman Net Further Afield

Determined to cast aspersions on the proposed purchase of Smithfield and National Beef by JBS Swift, R-CALF's Bill Bullard has issued statements that appear to distort and misrepresent how the deal would affect feeder cattle markets and feedyards.

A rabid opponent of cattlemen's beef alliances and branded programs, Bullard seems not to understand what U.S. Premium Beef (USPB) is or how it operates.

"Post-merger, all competing order buyers who are now filling orders for Five Rivers and National Beef would be filling orders for the same company - JBS Brazil," Bullard claims. Bullard concluded this would reduce the number of buyers for feeder cattle, hurting demand.

AFF Sentinel Vol.5#24

With the successful defeat of attempts to steal rights and freedoms from American livestock producers in the Farm Bill, now comes dealing with the unpleasant aftermath - mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (mCOOL).

Mainstream groups again tried to stave off implementation of a law yielding little but costing hundreds of millions of dollars, ultimately devaluing livestock for producers. Timing is everything. China's difficulties with a small percentage of export items came at a bad time for fighting mCOOL implementation.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT.), chairwoman, House Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Appropriations Subcommittee, enabled mCOOL implementation as one tool needed to "protect" American consumers. Unfortunately, activists ignore facts: it is USDA- equivalent inspection that delivers food safety, not a country label. Instead, in further excess, legislation has been introduced to force food manufacturers to list every country sourcing any food ingredient in a particular prepared food product.