Mandatory Animal ID Programs
In May 2024, USDA mandated electronic ID for cattle moving interstate. This is an illogical, ineffective rule that will unfairly burden small- and medium- scale producers, further consolidate our food supply in the hands of a few large meatpackers, and undermine our national food security.
Electronic ID is a corporate boondoggle
Multinational meatpacking corporations and high-tech companies are pushing mandatory electronic identification (EID) for livestock, claiming that it’s an animal health measure and supports food safety – but neither is true. The real story is that it promotes international exports, thus maximizing the meatpacking companies’ profits, while the high-tech companies will make millions selling tags, readers, and related infrastructure, all at the expense of farmers and ranchers.
The History:
Two decades ago, the USDA attempted to force America’s cattle producers – and every livestock and poultry owner in the country – to register their premises with the federal government, individually identify all their animals with electronic identification, and report their animals’ movements under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The agency presented traceability as the “magic bullet” to addressing animal disease – rather than focusing on prevention, detection, and treatment.
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After a massive outcry from ranchers, farmers, homesteaders, property rights advocates, privacy watchdogs, and local food consumers, the USDA withdrew the plan for NAIS in 2010.
In its place, the USDA adopted the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) Rule. It required cattle producers to identify their adult beef cattle and all dairy cattle moving interstate with some form of individual animal identification. Consolidated, vertically integrated operations were given the easier and cheaper option to use group identification rather than physically tag each animal. The rule explicitly promised producers that they could choose among a variety of identification devices, including metal and plastic tags. The USDA described ADT as a flexible solution to animal disease traceability that encouraged the use of low-cost technology.
Although ADT has been successful in tracing animals when needed, in May 2024, the USDA adopted a new rule, eliminating visual-only ear tags and mandating electronic ID.
