Implementation of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) in the Beef Industry

The central notion of COOL, to provide consumers with information about the source of beef products, seems simple enough and not likely to generate much inherent opposition. However, the issues involved in development of the COOL law and the implementation in the beef industry have proven to be the source of significant contention. Much of the support for the inclusion of COOL in the 2002 Farm Bill came from elements of the beef industry but the provisions were immediately resisted vigorously by other industry sectors and have continued to be a lightning rod for policy disputes that have often pitted producer against producer (Kay, 2003, 2003). The controversy over COOL within the beef industry can be broadly grouped into three areas of contention: 1) the specific language and implications for implementation of the COOL law; 2) the motivation for the law; and 3) the question of costs and benefits to the industry.