October 9, 2018

Dialogue: NDFB on COOL

Topic: Issues

October 9, 2018: NDFB President Daryl Lies explains NDFB's position on Country of Origin Labeling.

Download the NDFB on COOL mp3

Read the transcript:

Individual freedom and opportunity must not be sacrificed in a quest for guaranteed security. One of the very founding principle beliefs of NDFB.

For months now, there have been discussions going on about the trade, and the farm bill and everything connected to it. And one of the things that has come up most recently, again, is the discussion of Country of Origin Labeling.

At NDFB, we have a policy that falls in line with that philosophical belief I just read. Our policy states, and I quote, “We support labeling of U.S. beef through the channels of free enterprise and entrepreneurship rather than a government mandated Country of Origin Labeling, or COOL, program.” End quote.

You see, the government was set up to do those things which we cannot do for ourselves. However, labeling of our meat products is something that we can – and that people do – for themselves every day.

If you feel it is important to source beef, or pork or other meat products grown right here in the United States, maybe even right here in North Dakota, you can do that. And if you think it’s necessary to have a label for the beef you raise, the pork you raise or the other meat products you raise, you have the capability to do a private label, and label where that was grown. And THAT is self-reliance. And obtaining the opportunity guaranteed by our freedoms in this country.

What has been lost over the decades should be the question we ask ourselves. And how do we regain implementing and using our freedom, opportunity and self-reliance, and doing those things which we are perfectly capable to do as individuals, and not depending on the government to create an answer and a false security blanket for the issues we feel are important.