From the President
Mark Eisele
BUILDING INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
When I think about the value of NCBA , “ partnership ” is what comes to mind . When I first started in the cattle business , NCBA was my partner and helped me through challenging regulations and activist attacks that threatened my ranch . Since becoming NCBA president , building on partnerships has been a top priority and those partnerships don ’ t stop at our borders .
This past month , I traveled to Australia and Mexico to meet with local producers and build international support to address some of our industry ’ s top challenges . Whether you raise cattle in the United States , Australia , Mexico , Canada , or the European Union , farmers and ranchers face similar threats . Radical environmental groups continue to push the false narrative that raising cattle is destroying the planet , our way of life continues to face threats from foreign animal diseases like footand-mouth disease ( FMD ), and lab-grown protein companies are pushing for making factory copies of our real beef .
These international threats are the reason why NCBA is reaching out to cattle producer organizations in other countries . In Australia , I joined the producer-led group Cattle Australia and signed a joint statement with their president . The statement reflected our shared interests in bolstering animal health programs to protect our industry from FMD , urging our governments to strengthen oversight and labeling requirements for lab-grown protein , along with continuing to tell the cattle industry ’ s sustainability story and the value we provide to the environment .
After Australia , I headed to Mexico for the Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas , or CNOG , convention . CNOG represents Mexican cattle producers , and we have worked closely with them , as well as the Canadian Cattle Association , on animal health issues in North America . Both CNOG and the Canadian Cattle Association joined our joint statement with Australia and committed to addressing these same issues .
On the animal health front , beef imports from Brazil remain a consistent concern . Brazil has been home to several cases of
atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy ( BSE ). While these cases occur spontaneously , all countries are required to report BSE cases within 24 hours to the World Organization for Animal Health ( WOAH ). This system ensures transparency and keeps every country playing by the same rules . The U . S . has upheld this 24-hour requirement continuously , but Brazil has often delayed reporting cases from anywhere between 35 days to nearly two years . That delay is extremely concerning , and it makes Brazil an unreputable trading partner . NCBA has raised this concern repeatedly with the U . S . Department of Agriculture , but in Mexico , we took another step by leading a letter with CNOG and the Canadian Cattle Association to top trade officials of our respective countries — U . S . Trade Representative Katherine Tai , Mexican Secretaria de Economía Raquel Buenrostro Sanchez , and Canadian Minister of Export Promotion , International Trade and Economic Development Mary Ng — explaining our concerns once again .
I firmly believe standing up for what is right as an individual is a good thing , but standing up as a team is even better . It sends a powerful signal that cattle producers across North America are united in our concern with Brazil , and we keep pushing to block their beef imports . It is similarly important producers around the world are united in confronting these other threats we face — foreign animal disease , lab-grown protein , and environmental activist attacks .
We in the cattle industry have an incredible story to share . Our farms and ranches are testaments to the value of hard work , family and perseverance . We steward millions of acres of open land , protect wildlife habitat , clean air and healthy soil , and we harness the incredible upcycling ability of cattle to produce a delicious , wholesome protein that feeds our local communities and the world . There is no better way to make a living than that , and NCBA is strengthening our partnerships abroad to make sure that story is told everywhere . Thank you for trusting NCBA to be your partner .
It is similarly important producers around the world are united in confronting these other threats we face — foreign animal disease , labgrown protein , and environmental activist attacks . www . NCBA . org NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 5