U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Bipartisan Agriculture Act of 2013 — The Farm Bill — today at Michigan State University. In the States, the signing of this bill has been largely controversial, though it’s touted as a win for many sectors.
“It supports local food by investing in things like farmers markets and organic agriculture,” said President Obama in his address today. “[The Farm Bill] helps rural communities grow, gives farmers some certainty & puts in place important reforms.
Obama on the #FarmBill: “It’s like a Swiss Army Knife—it multitasks. It creates more good jobs & gives more Americans a shot at opportunity”
— White House Live (@WHLive) February 7, 2014
On the other hand, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association — like the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association — has not been silent on the issue of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). Despite the WTO’s ruling that COOL was inconsistent with trade obligations, these provisions remained in the U.S. Farm Bill.
Read More: Premier Brad Wall on the Too-COOL U.S. Farm Bill
Thus, the process that seemed to drag on forever continues. Canada will present oral arguments against COOL before the WTO compliance panel in two weeks.