CalfAID Director Testifies To International Trade Commission
Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 1:00PM Washington, D.C., November 15, 2007 — Dr. Kris Ringwall testified today before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) regarding the critical economic relationships between U.S. beef exports and the source of those exports, the U.S. cow calf producer. The U.S. Senate has requested the ITC to investigate the effects of animal health, sanitary, and food safety measures on global beef trade and the impact of these and other restrictions on U.S. beef exports.
Dr. Ringwall, a livestock specialist, is Director of the Dickinson Research Extension Center for North Dakota State University. In that capacity he manages the CalfAID™ program, a process verified program developed through the USDA which provides third-party verification for age and source of beef cattle for members of the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association (NDBCIA). He also serves as Executive Secretary of the NDBCIA.
Dr. Ringwall acknowledged the contribution of Steve Holcombe, CEO of Pardalis, Inc. to a critical proposition made during his testimony - that information is now being produced as a new product along agricultural supply chains.
“There is much uncertainty surrounding calf marketing,” Ringwall said. “The national and international discussion about age and source verification has heightened that uncertainty.”
“The challenge is to effectuate regulations that are inclusive of small producers,” Ringwall said, quoting Holcombe. “and that recognize that there now are two distinct products being produced along agricultural supply chains today: (1) the traditional livestock product (the calf), and (2) an informational product that describes the pedigree of the traditional product.”
“Today's producer markets a calf but also markets the information about that calf, a process that is still struggling in the pens and alleyways of the cattle business,” said Ringwall. “The free marketplace determines calf value, but the value of the information associated with the calf has not been determined. But one point is becoming very clear; the actual information contains the keys to unlock the various doors needed to enter the more complex market place, not only domestically but internationally.”
“By placing value on the calf and the accompanying data, we must also go one step further and accept the fact that there are two additional principles at work – trace back and trace forward,” Ringwall said. “The discussion of marketing is strongly related to trace forward, the process of presenting to the market, the world, a product and data package capable of providing future assurance of the authenticity of the product offered and accompanying data package.”
The CalfAID™ program was developed by the NDBCIA, North Dakota State University and Dickinson State University, and approved through the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in 2006.
“Our producers have become keenly aware that trace back, primarily a function of health, sanitary, and food safety, is also critical and understand the need to maintain effective health regulations, even if such regulations present themselves as trade barriers,” Ringwall said.
“Trace forward is a sequential step that, when combined with trace back, creates a synergism between what was, what is and what will be, relative to authenticated producer products involved in domestic and export markets,” Ringwall said. “Animal identification and disease management are closely linked and work together.”
“The beef industry needs a modern, effective system of individual accountability, a system respectful of local concerns, realistic in response to pathogenic challenges, but responsive to industry needs and consumer desires for both animals and people,” Ringwall said. “And given guidance, our producers are up to any challenge.”
The ITC will report the findings of its investigations to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Finance by June 6, 2008.
In an earlier news release made October 26, 2007, U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) announced the invitation extended to Dr. Ringwall by the International Trade Commission. “The invitation for Dr. Ringwall to testify is recognition of the expertise he has gained as one of the lead investigators in a joint project between North Dakota State University and Dickinson State University aimed at ensuring the safety of the nation’s food supply using cutting-edge technology,” the announcement stated. “Senator Dorgan has secured $6.6 million in federal funding to support the research project, and has included another $1.8 million in the pending Fiscal Year 2008 Agriculture Appropriations bill to continue the work.”
About the United States International Trade Commission
The United States International Trade Commission is an independent, quasi-judicial Federal agency with broad investigative responsibilities on matters of trade. The Commission serves as a Federal resource where trade data and other trade policy-related information are gathered and analyzed. The information and analysis are provided to the President, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and Congress to facilitate the development of sound and informed U.S. trade policy. The Commission makes most of its information and analysis available to the public to promote understanding of international trade issues. For more information, see http://www.usitc.gov/.
About the CalfAID™ Process Verified Program
For more information, see http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2005/102705/02beefta.htm.
About the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association
For more information, see http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/chaps/ndbcia.htm.
About the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center
For more information, see http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/.
About the Agro-security Resource Center at Dickinson State University
For more information, see http://www2.dsu.nodak.edu/users/agrosec/index.htm.
About Pardalis, Inc.
Pardalis' mission is to introduce the sharing of confidential, trustworthy and traceable data along complex and poorly coordinated supply chains with innovative Common Point Authoring™ methods for protecting the ownership rights of information producers. For more information, see the white paper, Banking on Granular Information Ownership, retrievable from http://www.pardalis.com.
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