The USDA has ignored protests from independent farmers, ranchers, and concerned consumers, and adopted a rule to require electronic identification of all dairy cattle, mature beef cattle, crossing state lines.
Mandating electronic ID with its burdensome and costly requirements, undermines the goal of promoting a resilient, more local food system. If we want to build resilient, diversified supply chains, the federal government needs to take steps to avoid regulations and policies that are prejudiced against small- and mid-scale producers, such as mandatory electronic animal ID.
The USDA has been told by numerous stakeholders for over a decade that mandatory electronic Animal ID is “a solution in search of a problem,” and one that will harm thousands of small farmers and ranchers across the country.