The USDA is back at it, trying to mandate electronic livestock identification to track cattle crossing state lines. They even got the House to slip it into this week's appropriations bill! 

It's time again to support small ranchers and call your Representatives! 

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is at it yet again!  Despite opposition from the vast majority of farmers and ranchers, the agency is moving ahead with finalizing a mandate for electronic animal identification, a move that could have a major impact on farmers and ranchers across the country.

Mandatory electronic animal identification DOES NOT address food safety or animal disease concerns, but instead, unreasonably burdens farmers and ranchers.

USDA even got the House to slip a provision into this week’s appropriations bill to provide $15 million for electronic tags and infrastructure.  Of course, that’s just a fraction of the real cost of the program – leaving farmers and ranchers to pay for much, much more.

The USDA has tried, unsuccessfully,  in the past to push this mandate on farmers. For years, we fought this Big Meatpacker-driven program, including  loss of privacy, cost, inefficiency, and the burdens on small-scale farmers and ranchers. In 2010, FARFA alongside hundreds of other farmers and organizations successfully stopped the USDA from imposing an Animal electronic ID mandate.  We can do it again in 2024 but we need your help.

We urge you to take immediate action and voice your opposition to the USDA's electronic animal ID mandate.  The agency has ignored the voices of the public, so now it’s time to take our concerns to our elected representatives and urge them to stand up for small farmers and ranchers!  The funding provision shows that Congress doesn’t understand this issue at all, and it’s up to YOU to help us educate them!

Here's how you can help:

Find Your Representative // Find Your Senators

1. Call your Congresspeople: Call your legislators in the US House and Senate,  and express your concerns about the proposed electronic animal ID mandate. Clearly state your opposition and ask for their support in stopping this mandate. (Need help thinking of what to say?  Check out the information below and in our fact sheet.)
2. Spread the word: Share this information with your friends, family, and fellow farmers. Encourage them to also call their Congresspeople and voice their opposition to the mandate.
3. Stay Informed: Keep a close eye on updates from FARFA and other relevant organizations to stay informed about developments related to this mandate.

Your action is vital to protect small farmers and ranchers and all those who depend on them for their food.

Thank you for your commitment to speaking up to tell Congress to stop the USDA's electronic animal ID mandate. Thank you for taking action now!

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WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

Consider this: The only state to mandate electronic ID provides evidence that imposing such requirements not only hurts small farms, but drives the whole industry towards consolidation into mega-sized operations!

In 2007, the State of Michigan began to require electronic ID tags on cattle for in-state movements. Based on the USDA Agricultural Census from 2007 and 2012, Michigan saw a significant loss of small farms and an increase in the consolidation of the industry, notably worse than national trends:

• Michigan saw a 3% decrease in the number of very small cattle operations (fewer than 10 head), even though nationally the number of such farms increased by 4%.
• Michigan saw a 35% increase in the number of very large cattle farms (over 1,000 head), even though the number of those operations decreased slightly nationally.
• Plus, Michigan saw a 50% increase in the number of cattle on those large farms, even though the number of cattle in large operations remained about the same nationally.

The impact of electronic Animal ID isn’t just the cost of the tags themselves. It’s all the infrastructure to support an electronic system, combined with the loopholes created for large corporate-controlled operations.  This plan is bad for small farms, independent ranchers, and consumers who want to buy American beef!

Please, help us stop this program by taking action NOW! Download our FACT SHEET to share with your Congresspeople!

Thank you for your support!