Vilsack met with officials in Brussels, Luxembourg, Paris and Dublin to make the U.S. case on disputed issues in farm trade as the Obama administration and European Union work on negotiations in T-TIP.

He stressed the benefits that the trade agreement could have on both the U.S. and EU economies. However, grounds for disagreement on agricultural issues are numerous, including issues regarding genetically modified (GM) crops and food processing techniques.

Vilsack said if “sound science” shows such products and practices to be safe, European consumers should have the option of purchasing the food that results.

“If we are truly interested in feeding the world, truly interested in doing so with less pesticides and chemicals and truly interested in doing so with more inclement weather and more intense weather patterns because of climate change, we are going to have to adopt science,” Vilsack explained.

After talks with Vilsack, EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos said he was convinced Europeans and Americans need “a better understanding of our realities” if negotiations for the proposed T-TIP are to succeed.

Australia
Australia exports approximately 60 percent of its beef production. Because Australian producers depend on a diverse set of export customers, they have developed quality assurance (QA) programs that differentiate their beef in domestic and global markets.

These standards assure individual customers that the product is safe, wholesome and meets customer and consumer needs.

The Australian beef supply chain strives to meet the mark of quality as defined by their customers.

Australia has taken an industrial approach toward QA by investing producer checkoff funds and processor contributions to develop QA tools and make them available to all Australian supply chains. QA objectives are clearly identified:

• Demonstration of food safety, along with a DNA sampling protocol for trace-back considerations
• Long shelf life
• Proof of quality for export through a national identification system
• Determination of customer preferences

Australia’s QA system is voluntary and is led by national government agencies and a single industry entity, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

Different QA programs require different levels of documentation depending on market needs. The Australian Lot Feeders Accreditation (ALFA) program, for example, is a significant element of the overall program.

Grain-fed beef comprises a fraction of total production but represents the highest value outcome and appears to be a growing activity, especially for export.

Because grain feeding is not the norm in Australia, the ALFA program quantifies the term “grain-fed” and assures foreign buyers of the extent of grain feeding.

QA include an animal welfare protocol called Cattle Care, used for management in conjunction with the Australian Quality Inspection Service (AQIS).

Approximately 25 percent of all Australian herds are raised under this system. AusMeat, an Australian producer packer consortium, audits the Cattle Care participants to ensure standards are being maintained.

From the genome to the retail meat case, Aussie producers have tools available to assure both domestic and foreign customers their beef is wholesome, safe and meets the eating experiences of individual consumers.

China
China is playing an increasingly important role on the international meat import market thanks to rising consumption and increasing domestic prices.

The country’s rising population, growing urbanization and rising economy is helping to increase demand for meat products across all sectors.

For example, last year China slaughtered more than 715.5 million pigs – more than 50 percent of global production. China imported 25 percent of the global sheep meat trade last year, and beef imports into the country are also rising with growing prices.

At the same time, China is also seeing growth and development within its own meat processing sector with a focus on larger more integrated plants with higher food safety standards and growing profitability.

“China’s meat industry is in a period of fast growth,” Meng Qingguo, president of the China Meat Association, told the World Meat Congress in June.

He said total meat output for the last year rose by 1.8 percent. At the same time, beef prices in the country rose by 18.5 percent.

He Luli, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People’s Congress and honorary president of the China Meat Association, said the Chinese government has placed great importance in meat products and processing.

“After decades of contraction, the foundations were placed for the present meat industry and now it has been fundamentally transformed,” she said.

“The meat companies of China have been reaching out to meat companies around the world, and China has been catching up with international standards.” 

Clint Peck is former director of Montana’s Beef Quality Assurance program.