Hundreds of farmers, ranchers marching on Washington, D.C., to talk about COOL, RFS, trade

Hundreds of U.S. farmers and ranchers with the National Farmers Union are marching on Washington, D.C., this week, with plans to visit all 535 congressional offices to push their policy priorities, Spencer Chase reports for Agri-Pulse. NFU members want lawmakers to support country-of-origin labeling (COOL), protect the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.

COOL "would repeal the mandatory aspects of COOL that the World Trade Organization says violate global trade rules and replace them with a voluntary program that maintains a 'product of the U.S.' label detailing information where an animal was born, raised and slaughtered," Chase writes.

"NFU members will also tout the benefits of the RFS and encourage opposition to any legislative changes to the statute," Chase writes. "Members will ask lawmakers to oppose the proposed reductions in renewable volume obligations for 2014-2016, which the Environmental Protection Agency released in May."

"On trade, NFU members will touch on three topics: TPP; imports of beef from certain areas of northern Argentina and Brazil, which they want delayed; and expanding trade with Cuba," Chase writes. "NFU members were encouraged to stress opposition to TPP in its current form until negotiators addresses issues such as currency manipulation." (Read more)