From All Angles: Food Chain Mandates Threaten Producers, Impact Consumers

Precedent-setting mandates are coming at animal agriculture from many different angles, undermining the freedom of farmers to raise livestock. These regulations aren’t based on science. They aren’t based on animal husbandry experience. And many will argue they aren’t based on a shred of truth.

So, why are more and more activist groups turning to state ballot initiatives to push their agendas? Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer says it’s simple.

“Activist groups know that it is easier to get mandates at the state level than federal, and are trying that approach with some initial success,” Wiesemeyer says.

The activist groups are targeting states with little to no livestock production trying to mandate how producers raise livestock, explains Michael Formica, assistant vice president and general counsel for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

“Because the rules are implemented on a state-by-state basis, each rule is unique and it’s creating a patchwork of different regulatory standards,” Formica says. “Meanwhile, food brands continue to assess sourcing policies entered into a decade ago that are bringing with them additional challenges.”

One Word for Food Mandates

If the mandates resulted in better food safety and efficiency while working with farmers and the food sector to accomplish goals, that would be a clear benefit, Wiesemeyer says. But these mandates don’t result in better food safety or efficiency, and they aren’t created in collaboration with farmers and the food sector.

In one word, Formica calls these mandates “uninformed.”

“The use of mandates to set supply chain policies encourages rules that might sound good on paper to uninformed voters and audiences but lack any consideration of the complex realities of animal health and welfare, veterinary care and supply chain challenges. These rules set arbitrary standards based on a goal of reduced meat consumption rather than being informed by veterinary expertise,” he says.

Wiesemeyer describes mandates in the food supply chain as “unnecessary.”

“These unfunded mandates have far more costs than benefits, which should be the test of any new proposed regulation,” Wiesemeyer adds.

For fifth-generation pork producer and CEO of Two Mile Pork LLC Scott Hays, these mandates are “evolving.”

“We’re seeing developments in the kinds of policies being developed and new players getting involved. For example, financial groups and benchmark reports seek to influence investors by calling attention to animal care and environmental practices,” Hays says.

Time to Speak Up

It’s vital for all agriculture and livestock stakeholders to engage with food industry decision-makers, government officials and NGOs to communicate about realities of modern agriculture to help them make informed decisions, Hays explains.

“As we seek to minimize the threat of further restrictions, it’s important to bring in expertise and science to ensure rational and economically viable solutions are identified,” he says.

More mandates will continue to drive smaller producers and firms away from animal agriculture because they do not have the personnel nor financial resources to deal with them, Wiesemeyer believes.

“This is ironic because many of those pushing mandates profess to want to expand entrants in the ag industry,” Wiesemeyer says.

As a producer, Hays is concerned about the goal posts changing and new policies being imposed. The result of the ballot initiatives, special interest group pressure and government policies is a dangerous mix of inconsistent standards that threaten farmers’ ability to operate effectively.

“What I comply with today may not be compliant in a year or five years when a new policy or regulation is approved; and therefore, will require me to make additional changes, at a significant cost. And consumers suffer, too,” he says. “These changes have a ripple effect of disruption in the supply chain, including higher prices.”

Keep Your Eyes on This

In the short term, Proposition 12 in California and Question 3 in Massachusetts are just a few mandates threatening producers’ freedom to operate while others such as the PAUSE Act, which has been proposed in Colorado, bring with them potential additional challenges, Formica says. (link to stories on these issues)

“California’s Prop 12 is the key issue to watch,” Wiesemeyer believes. “Why? If the Supreme Court does not accept the NPPC/Farm Bureau petition to review the matter, and if it is not struck down, then anti-farm policy groups will use the California approach as a template for similar action ahead on other issues.”

Although there doesn’t appear to be an upside to these mandates, Formica says the debate has led to strengthened relationships between the pork industry and other livestock industries, as well as the organizations throughout the food chain that ultimately market and sell these products to consumers.

“This has allowed us opportunities for additional education and understanding of pork production,” Formica points out. “Making sure producers, veterinarians and other livestock specialists are involved in these important discussions is vital.”

Hays says the story of how food is raised and produced is compelling, especially as fewer people have any connection to farming and rural lifestyles.

“Special interest groups, financed with nearly unlimited financial resources, are continuing to push for changes. Despite a slowdown during the pandemic, we expect these headwinds to continue,” Hays says.

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