A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Representatives is pushing for the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to adopt a different definition of poultry.
The effort was led by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-IA, and Chris Coons, D-DE, and Reps. Andrew Clyde, R-GA, and Sanford Bishop, D-GA.
A total of 54 federal lawmakers joined them in writing to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Administrator Dr. Michael Watson, urging the agency to advocate for WOAH to adopt the same definition of poultry that was unanimously approved by the United States Animal Health Association.
"The current WOAH definition fails to appropriately distinguish commercial poultry involved in international trade from backyard or wild birds posing minuscule trade transmission risk. Over a year ago, the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) proposed a reasonable definition change that would rightly recognize neighbors gifting backyard poultry eggs to others as non-commercial. It would also exclude birds that are raised to be released at hunting preserves from being considered poultry for international trade purposes," the letter read.
The lawmakers also pointed out how that the current WOAH definition is hugely costing U.S. poultry producers through trade disruptions related to animal diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
"The current WOAH definition fails to appropriately distinguish commercial poultry involved in international trade from backyard or wild birds posing minuscule trade transmission risk. Over a year ago, the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) proposed a reasonable definition change that would rightly recognize neighbors gifting backyard poultry eggs to others as non-commercial. It would also exclude birds that are raised to be released at hunting preserves from being considered poultry for international trade purposes. …"
"We firmly support this pragmatic change. After over a year of inaction from WOAH, we strongly encourage you to advance this reasonable proposal to limit subsequent trade disruptions. America’s agricultural competitiveness depends on having fair, up-to-date global animal health rules, which would provide our producers with a level playing field."
Cosigners include Reps. Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), Rick Allen (R-GA), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Jim Banks (R-IN), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Troy Carter (D-LA), Ben Cline (R-VA), Mike Collins (R-GA), James Comer (R-KY), Jim Costa (D-CA), Don Davis (D-NC), Mike Ezell (R-MS), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Michael Guest (R-MS), Andy Harris (R-MD), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Kathy Manning (D-NC), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Lisa McClain (R-MI), Rich McCormick (R-GA), Max Miller (R-OH), Barry Moore (R-AL), Greg Murphy (R-NC), Wiley Nickel (D-NC), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), John Rose (R-TN), Deborah Ross (D-NC), David Rouzer (R-NC), Austin Scott (R-GA), David Scott (D-GA), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Chris Smith (R-NJ), David Valadao (R-CA), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Steve Womack (R-AR), and Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Tom Carper (D-DE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Support from U.S. poultry industry
According to a press release from Clyde’s office, their efforts have the support from the following companies and organizations: Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, Amlan International, Cantrell Mechanical Solutions (CMS), Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Poultry Federation, Pilgrim's Pride, Mar-Jac Poultry, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation (NTF), U.S. Animal Health Association, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, and Wayne-Sanderson Farms.
Leaders from several of those organizations issued statements. Among those are:
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper: "The Georgia Department of Agriculture fully supports this bipartisan effort to encourage WOAH to update their overly broad definition of poultry. As the nation’s leader in poultry production, thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry have been negatively impacted by the current definition, and it is well past time for it to be updated."
Tom McCall, President of the Georgia Farm Bureau: "This letter led by Congressmen Bishop and Clyde urging the World Organization of Animal Health to redefine 'poultry' to exclude private backyard flocks and game birds is a positive step forward. By excluding these populations, the new definition would help ensure that avian influenza cases within these groups do not disrupt poultry exports. This adjustment will safeguard the global poultry trade while allowing for targeted measures to contain and manage outbreaks within non-commercial poultry populations."
Mike Giles, President of the Georgia Poultry Federation: "We are very thankful to Representatives Andrew Clyde and Sanford Bishop for spearheading the bipartisan effort to encourage WOAH to revise the definition of poultry to exclude detections of avian influenza in backyard settings and other operations unrelated to the commercial production of poultry products destined for export. A reasonable revision of the WOAH definition is necessary and warranted to ensure that exports of commercial poultry products are not unfairly impacted by detections of avian influenza in these types of settings."
Heath Jarrett, President of CMS: "CMS Mechanical Solutions, Inc. is in full support of the efforts made by our congressional leaders, including Reps. Andrew Clyde and Sanford Bishop, to redefine the outdated definition of ‘poultry’ by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). This redefinition aims to prevent disruptions in commercial poultry exports due to HPAI detection in non-commercial flocks or hunting preserves. The existing definition has led to significant losses for poultry-producing states, including Georgia, my home state. It’s crucial that we act immediately to secure the position of American agriculture in the global market and address these unjustified interruptions in business with our main trading partners."
Joel Brandenberger, NTF President & CEO: "The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is supportive of a revised definition of ‘poultry’ to ensure that commercial turkey exports are no longer interrupted in the event of an HPAI detection within a non-commercial flock or hunting preserve. WOAH’s inaction in clarifying the definition has resulted in major losses for the nation’s turkey-producing states. The time to act is now to safeguard American agriculture’s place in the global marketplace and address these unwarranted halts in business with key trading partners. NTF thanks key congressional leaders such as Reps. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA) for their support and leadership in this effort to protect U.S. poultry exports."
