Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
are. The Slow Food movement, the Locavore movement, the grassfed
move-
ment (see Resources for Web site addresses),
and the exponential growth
of the organic marketplace in recent years all demonstrate the heightened
awareness among consumers of the social and ecological issues that surround
the food we eat.
Country of Origin Labeling, or COOL, is another exciting development
for U.S. shepherds: included in the 2002 and 2008 farm bills, COOL became
mandatory on September 30, 2008. It requires retailers to notify their cus-
tomers of the country of origin of the lamb and mutton they sell (as well as
to provide notifi cation on a number of other commodity products, including
beef, pork, chicken, goat, fi sh, and shellfi sh, and perishable agricultural com-
modities and nuts). The implementation of mandatory COOL is expected
to boost domestic sales of American-raised commodities dramatically, and
I think it will be particularly benefi cial for the sheep industry — not only
shepherds, but also the myriad support industries that are crucial for getting
their products to consumers. For example, the “Sheep Industry Economic
Impact Analysis” report shows that “for every dollar of lamb, mutton, wool or
sheep's milk produced, an additional $2.55 is generated that supports linked
industries and jobs in this country.”
Like consumers, restaurateurs and chefs, through organizations such as
the Chefs Collaborative, are using their voices to advocate for family-farm
producers of sustainably and humanely raised meats, and they are showing
increased interest in lamb. A recent study by the American Lamb Board indi-
cates that increasing numbers of chain restaurants are offering lamb and that
almost three-quarters of the high-profi le, white-tablecloth restaurants regu-
larly offer lamb on their menus.
Global-energy economics are changing rapidly, and as the cost of ship-
ping products from foreign ports to North America increases, the economic
situation for producers here will most certainly improve. This change will
particularly benefi t the commodity producers, who have challenges direct
marketing their lamb to consumers or chefs. And as the green building move-
ment continues to expand, environmentally friendly uses of wool, such as in
insulation and bedding, will also help provide more markets for wool.
Vertical Integration
Vertical integration occurs when large multinational companies begin con-
trolling all facets of production and marketing, though some small-scale
producers successfully use the concept of vertical integration in their own
