COUNCIL COMMUNICATOR TAKING NUTRITION INTO THE NEW YEAR

from the California Beef Council

With the start of a new year, it is very common for people to set New Year’s resolutions. For many, that might look like watching what they eat, trying to shed a few pounds, or following a new diet. The California Beef Council (CBC) knows how important it is to keep beef nutrition messaging front and center, not just at the beginning of a new year but yearround. Beef can support a well-rounded diet, and CBC registered dietitian Kori Dover makes sure California consumers are aware of that.

Last December, Dover attended The Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Kids Collaborative annual summit. The summit was a unique collaboration between K-12 school nutrition professionals, school chefs, suppliers, and other stakeholders focused on creating and promoting culinary-driven, healthier foods for kids. As one of the sponsors of the summit, the CBC was able to participate in the discussions regarding healthy school meals.

The top four conference sponsors were paired with school foodservice operators for two different culinary competitions. As a top sponsor, the CBC worked alongside school foodservice professionals to create a breakfast and lunch kid-friendly dish featuring beef. Team California Beef Council received 1st place in the kids’ choice cooking competition for their breakfast — Ultimate Cheddar and Beef Sausage Biscuit! Taste testing at the summit is pictured above.

In January, Dover attended the School Nutrition Industry Conference, one of the most innovative conferences in school nutrition. She represented the CBC and connected with school nutrition operators and industry professionals to promote the nutritional value of beef and its role in school meals. She will follow-up this effort by hosting a webinar in February with school nutrition professionals, in collaboration with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

The CBC Food and Nutrition Outreach program’s 2023 Marketing Plan also includes engaging in beef nutrition discussions with organizations like Food and Culinary Professionals (FCP), California School Nutrition Association (CSNA), California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (CAND), and the Nutrition Communication Training program, which is organized through California universities.

While all of these efforts are important, there may be indications that American consumers are already including beef in their dietary plans for 2023. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, conducted their annual holiday consumer survey with over 1,000 respondents to identify the potential impacts of current market trends on shifting consumer preferences. Forty-three percent of respondents expressed interest in receiving beef steak menu ideas for New Years. This positive consumer response coupled with the CBC’s nutrition outreach efforts is something that California beef producers can look forward to watching unfold in the new year.

To learn more about the CBC and its promotional efforts, please visit our website www.Calbeef.org.

NCBA FILES SUIT OVER ADMINISTRATION’S WOTUS RULE

On Jan. 19, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) challenging the Biden administration’s final “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule.

“The Biden administration’s WOTUS definition is an attack on farmers and ranchers and NCBA will be fighting back in court,” said NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “The rule removes longstanding, bipartisan exclusions for small and isolated water features on farms and ranches and adds to the regulatory burden cattle producers are facing under this administration. We look forward to challenging this rule in court and ensuring that cattle producers are treated fairly under the law.”

NCBA previously filed technical comments on this rule, highlighting the importance of maintaining agricultural exclusions for small, isolated, and temporary water features, like ephemeral streams that only flow during limited periods of rainfall but remain dry the majority of the year. Regulating these features at the federal level under the Clean Water Act disrupts normal agricultural operations and interferes with cattle producers’ abilities to make improvements to their land.

“Farmers are stewards of the land and understand the importance of clean water. Unfortunately, this rule lacks common sense and makes our lives more complicated,” said NCBA Policy Vice Chair Gene Copenhaver, a Virginia cattle producer. “My cattle operation in southwest Virginia has a creek that only carries water after large storms. Under this WOTUS rule, we could be subject to complex federal regulation. I’m proud of NCBA’s work fighting back against this rule and I hope the uncertainty created by WOTUS will soon be a thing of the past.”

Last year, more than 1,700 individual cattle producers sent messages to the EPA opposing the administration’s overly broad definition of WOTUS. Producers once again shared their views with the EPA at an agency roundtable last June and even the EPA’s own Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee urged the EPA to consider a more limited rule. Unfortunately, EPA failed to incorporate the cattle industry’s recommendations, and NCBA will be suing to stop this rule from harming cattle producers.

“NCBA is also concerned that the EPA charges headfirst on a controversial rulemaking while this very issue is currently before the Supreme Court. We look forward to a decision in Sackett v. EPA,” said Hart.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Sackett case on Oct. 3, 2022, and is expected to release a decision in early 2023.

Ncba Statement On Proposed Traceability Rule

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President-Elect Todd Wilkinson, a South Dakota cattle producer and chairman of the NCBA traceability working group, released the following statement Jan. 18, regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rule on electronic identification for cattle moving interstate:

“As USDA has worked toward a nationally significant animal disease traceability program, NCBA has remained engaged in the conversation with industry stakeholders and USDA to ensure the interests of cattle producers are represented and protected. It is critical that any program ultimately adopted by USDA allows for maximum flexibility and privacy. At the same time, USDA must also minimize the costs for producers and any business disruptions to the industry.

“Foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks across the globe continue to result in disruptions to commerce and depopulated livestock, the need for bold action is immediate and evident. However, NCBA is committed to working with USDA to ensure workable solutions are identified and ultimately implemented. Cattle producers can be confident that any finished product will protect our national livestock herd. We will ensure it provides maximum producer privacy and flexibility with minimal costs, exactly what our stakeholders have told us they expect from USDA.”

NCBA is reviewing the proposed rule in its entirety to determine whether it meets the criteria that NCBA’s policy has outlined below.

Background NCBA grassroots policy, which is brought forward and voted on by individual cattle producers, states that NCBA believes an effective animal disease traceability program should:

•Be compatible with private sector animal ID and verification programs backed by the USDA.

•Be compatible with the general traceability principles of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).

•Recognize existing USDA programs for beef exports.

•Be built using infrastructure that supports other potential uses of ID.

•Utilize low-cost electronic official tagging devices paid for by federal and/or state funds, when possible.

•Require that cattle ID information for disease traceability be kept confidential and strongly protected from disclosure.

•Protect ownership information from disclosure to future owners.

•Protect producers from liability for acts of others, after the cattle have left the producer’s control.

•Operate at the speed of commerce.

•Not replace or impede existing state brand inspection activities.

•Work within a framework to accommodate all classes of cattle.