Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is talking with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s CEO, Colin Woodall, about agendas that do not support animal agriculture.
While many recognize groups such as PETA and the Humane Society of the U.S. for their agendas against animal agriculture, Woodall said one group that has come to the forefront recently is the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.)
“People kind of saw them (ASPCA) as truly being that group just helping dogs and cats,” Woodall said. “All you have to do is look at the commercials they have on TV for just 19 dollars a month- you can help them with dogs and cats.”
Woodall said NCBA has found that ASPCA is not different from HSUS and PETA when it comes to their agenda.
“It is their political agenda, not an actual helpful agenda that they are pursuing,” Woodall said. “That is what we are trying to expose.”
The Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act, supported by these animal rights activist groups, aims to rework checkoff programs. The majority of this legislation they want to introduce, Woodall said, is already in practice today.
“For example, it says that checkoffs need to post their financials for the public to review,” Woodall said. “All you have to do is go to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board website and you can find that today.”
The OFF Act also says that the office of the Inspector General should be able to audit these checkoffs, Woodall said, but that is something that is already in action.
“That happens today,” Woodall said. “In fact, NCBA was the subject of an office of the Inspector General audit just not too long ago.”
The legislation also states that checkoffs should not be able to disparage other agricultural commodities. Checkoffs cannot do that anyways, Woodall said, which is the reason the Checkoff cannot go after plant-based meat, because those are other agricultural commodities.
“So, it does a lot of things that already exist,” Woodall said.
The main reason these groups are in support of this legislation, Woodall said, is because the OFF Act states that groups that hire lobbyists can also not be contractors.
“That is really aimed squarely at us because they believe if they take the Checkoff away from groups like NCBA and our ability to contract, they will hurt not only the Checkoff, but also us,” Woodall said.
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