Pass the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act

The OFF Act would restore transparency and accountability to a billion-dollar government program funded by payments extracted from farmers.

Famous promotional campaigns like “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” and “Pork. The Other White Meat” are the product of government-mandated checkoff programs, which have long been plagued by corruption and controversy.

Started as a way for farmers to voluntarily pool their money to boost the overall sales of their products, checkoff programs are funded through a mandatory fee that many U.S. farmers, ranchers, and producers pay every time they sell any of 22 commodities, including beef, pork, milk, corn, and soybeans.

Due to decades of lax oversight by the USDA, nowadays checkoff programs are shrouded in secrecy while funneling farmers’ money to trade and lobbying organizations — representing the world’s largest meatpackers and grain traders — which promote policies that benefit large monopolies and harm family farmers and ranchers.

THE OFF ACT WOULD RESTORE INTEGRITY TO THE CHECKOFF

There is a bill in Congress right now that would make the checkoff work efficiently for farmers and ranchers: the bipartisan Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act. Developed by farmers in partnership with its sponsors, the OFF Act was introduced to the 118th Congress by Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in the Senate (S.557) and is co-sponsored by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

It was introduced by Representatives Nancy Mace (R-SC-1) and Dina Titus (D-NV-1) in the House (H.R. 1249).

The OFF Act would not end checkoff programs; it would increase program transparency and accountability and keep checkoff funds out of the hands of organizations that lobby on agricultural issues.

OFF ACT ADVOCACY TOOLKIT

Here are just a few resources to help lawmakers understand the need for this common sense legislation.

OFF Act Fact Sheet — The OFF Act would prohibit checkoff programs from contracting with organizations that lobby on agricultural issues (with an exception for institutions of higher education, such as our land grant institutions), require transparency through the publication of checkoff program budgets and expenditures, and require periodic audits by the USDA Inspector General.
OFF Act Section by Section Summary — This briefing paper sets out the overwhelming evidence explaining how each provision of the OFF Act would bring about checkoff program reform.
Farm Groups in Support of the OFF Act — These groups represent more than 200,000 farmers and ranchers across the United States.
All Supporters of the OFF Act — Spanning a wide range of issues, this diverse group agrees that the OFF Act would provide the necessary reforms to checkoff programs.
Exposing the Truth About NCBA — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is the primary beef checkoff contractor and purports to be the voice of the cattle industry — all while representing the world’s largest meatpacking corporations. Farm Action Fund’s public service announcement exposes their true priorities.

Visit our partner Farm Action to learn more about the history and controversies of checkoff programs — and why we need to reform them.

WHO SUPPORTS THE OFF ACT?

Farm Action Fund is working with a large coalition to pass the bipartisan OFF Act, which is supported by more than 130 organizations — led by farm groups representing more than 200,000 American farmers and ranchers.

Farmers, ranchers, and advocates are calling for the OFF Act in newspapers around the country:

Mike Callicrate, Denver Post. “Colorado rancher is tired of paying a corrupt federal fee for meat-packing lobbyists.”
Bill Bullard, Drovers. “Baffling Argument by an OFF Act Opponent.”
Brett Kenzy, Drovers. “OFF Act Sets New Standards for Government.”
Gilles Stockton, Tri-State Livestock News. “All indications are that the Beef Checkoff is brain dead.”
Bill Bullard, Reno Gazette Journal. “Rep. Titus imparts fairness for Nevada ranchers.”
David Hyde, Salt Lake Tribune. “Contractors with cowboy hats have failed the American cattle producers.”
David Hyde, Tri-State Livestock News. “One billion dollars and a flat iron steak later.”
Deborah Mills, Post Bulletin. “Family-owned dairy farms are in danger despite federal ‘checkoff’ program.”
Matt Barron, Greenfield Recorder. “Agricultural checkoff reform needs support from Sen. Markey.”
Charles White, Lansing State Journal. “Federal dairy checkoff program lacks transparency. Ag bill must fix that.”
Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming, Western Ag Reporter. “Support for Lee/Booker’s OFF Act.”
Angela Huffman, Agri-Pulse. “Farmers demand accountability and efficiency in government checkoff programs.”
Al Davis, Lincoln Journal Star. “Keeping Checkoff in Check.”
Bill Bullard, Alliance Grain Co. “Beef Checkoff Harms Producers.”
Ben Buchanan, Lancaster Farming. “Fired up for checkoff change: Support the OFF Act.”
Joe Maxwell, Western Ag Reporter. “Exposing NCBA’s Distortion of the Facts.”
Paul Sobocinski, AgWeek. “This farm bill is an opportunity to empower family farmers — not corporations.”
Gilles Stockton, Miles City Star. “Opportunities for Fairness in Farming.”
Taylor Haynes, Wyoming News. “Beef Checkoff isn’t working, unless it was intended to put producers out of business.”
David Hyde, Farm and Dairy. “Independent cattlemen finally represented at checkoff hearing.”
Will Harris, Civil Eats. “This Farm Bill Could Rein in Big Agriculture’s Lobbying Power.”
Cash Carruth, Albuquerque Journal. “Cattle ranchers being seared by meatpacking industry in beef checkoff program.”

Take Action to Reform Checkoff Programs

Stand with America’s farmers and ranchers! In just a few clicks, you can ask your legislator to co-sponsor the OFF Act.

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Pass the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act

THE OFF ACT WOULD RESTORE INTEGRITY TO THE CHECKOFF

OFF ACT ADVOCACY TOOLKIT

WHO SUPPORTS THE OFF ACT?

Take Action to Reform Checkoff Programs

LATEST CAMPAIGN NEWS

ND Soybean Council Caught Using Checkoff Funds to Lobby, Farm Action Fund Calls on Congress to Pass OFF Act

Farm Groups Applaud Seven New Co-Sponsors for Bipartisan OFF Act

Exposing the Truth about NCBA: a Public Service Announcement