Cattle Australia (CA) has joined the United States National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) in signing a statement of priorities for Australian and American cattle producers.

US NCBA president Mark Eisele

CA Chair, Garry Edwards, signed the statement alongside NCBA President, Mark Eisele, at the Rural Press Club of Queensland breakfast at Beef2024 in front of 700 people in Rockhampton this morning, uniting their voices in calling on the Australian and US Governments to continue working together on key issues impacting cattle producers in both countries.

“America’s cattle farmers and ranchers stand with Australia’s cattle producers and look forward to being partners in combatting foreign animal diseases, promoting sustainability, and ensuring proper oversight of lab-grown proteins,” said Mr Eisele, a Wyoming rancher.

“As a rancher, I understand the importance of proactively talking about the good work we do in both countries. Cattle producers provide significant benefits to the global population, from providing safe, wholesome real beef to implementing conservation practices that conserve millions of acres of prime wildlife habitat in the United States and Australia. This joint commitment will strengthen the partnership between American and Australian producers and support our efforts to educate the public on the benefits of raising cattle.”

The joint statement outlines both countries’ commitment to protecting cattle health and wellbeing with vaccine banks to counter the threat of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). While FMD only impacts clovenhoofed animals and does not pose a risk to humans, the disease can still cause immense financial harm to farmers and ranchers. The United States has been FMD-free since 1929 and Australia has been FMD free since 1872.

The statement also addressed the emergence of lab-grown proteins. While there are no lab-grown proteins that imitate beef currently authorized for retail in the U.S., several companies are attempting to bring these products to market. It is critically important that these products are properly vetted by regulatory authorities so they do not pose a potential risk to consumer health and food safety, and it is important that they are labeled in a way that is transparent to consumers so they can choose between naturally produced beef and lab-grown proteins. Additionally, the statement supports efforts to continue sharing information on cattle industry sustainability and promoting the benefits of cattle production such as improving wildlife habitat, natural water filtration, and greenspace protection benefits.

Cattle Australia chair Garry Edwards said the signatory organisations are aligned in their commitment to ensuring global consumers continue to have access to world-leading, sustainably-produced beef.

“In signing the Joint Statement of Priorities, we are encouraging the Australian and US Governments to join forces in combating devastating foreign animal diseases; promoting sustainable global trade that encourages efficient production practices; and ensuring science-based food safety and marketing regulations of emerging food technologies such as lab-grown proteins,” Mr Edwards said.

“We greatly appreciate the commitment by both governments to address the growing transnational threat of foreign animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).

“Combating these devastating animal diseases is an effort that requires both national preparedness planning and international cooperation.

“We are calling for the urgent and continued investment in critical infrastructure and preparedness activities in each of our countries to protect against and ultimately respond to outbreaks of foreign animal disease.”

As stewards of approximately 50% of Australia’s land mass and 800 million acres of US wildlife habitat, unique landmarks and crucial ecosystems, respectively, the two organisations are calling on their governments to recognise the personal stake cattle producers have in protecting the environment.

“Cattle producers work hard to improve the quality of the air, water, and land while caring for the health of our animals, our families, and our local communities,” Mr Edwards said.

“We prioritise proper grazing of cattle because it improves soil health, leads to greater water retention, increases carbon sequestration, and reduces the risk of catastrophic bushfires. Without a doubt, healthy land and healthy water produce healthy cattle.

“Both the Australian and US beef industries are working hard to meet sustainability goals, and we encourage Government to continue promoting our efficient, science-based technologies and production practices that enable us to produce more beef with less resources.

“It is critically important that our governments promote livestock production as an effective tool in land and resource management and a necessity for achieving climate improvement initiatives.”

The Statement also reiterates the importance of ensuring new technologies, such as lab-grown proteins, are properly vetted by regulatory authorities, to guard against potential risk to consumer and environmental health, or the compromise of consumer trust.

“Our Statement calls for regulatory authorities from both countries to ensure lab-grown proteins are clearly identified on packaging to limit consumer confusion,” Mr Edwards said.

“The growing global consumer base wants safe and nutritious beef that has been produced sustainably and efficiently – not something grown in a bioreactor.

“Both Australian and US grass-fed beef producers are incredibly proud of the work they do and committed to ensuring they leave a legacy of exceptional animal and environmental care, while producing the best beef in the world.

“Having the support of our governments and the right policy setting in place to support this is critical to our ability to deliver on this promise.”

Representing more than 175,000 cattle producers and feeders in the US, NCBA President, Mark Eisele, said the joint commitment will strengthen the partnership between American and Australian producers, and support the shared effort to educate the public on the benefits of raising cattle.

“America’s cattle farmers and ranchers stand with Australia’s cattle producers and look forward to being partners in combatting foreign animal diseases, promoting sustainability, and ensuring proper oversight of lab-grown proteins,” Mr Eisele said. “As a rancher, I understand the importance of proactively talking about the good work we do in both countries, and we are proud to showcase the significant benefits cattle producers provide to the global population.

To view joint statement in full click here