FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Samantha Cave
Communications Coordinator
samantha@nffc.net
603-333-6281
New Executive Orders Underscore Need for Congressional Action to Protect Farmers and Ranchers
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 4, 2026 – President Trump’s Executive Orders on the beef sector today underscore the urgent needs of independent, family-scale livestock farmers: fair prices, fair competition, and fair trade. While the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) recognizes the Administration’s attention to issues that ranchers and consumers have long called for, real reform will require stronger commitments and Congressional action.
US ranchers are contending with widespread challenges caused by an increasingly consolidated meat industry. The beef sector alone is dominated by only four companies (Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS USA, and National Beef Packing Co.), who together control 85% of market share with an iron grip. Independent ranchers simply cannot compete against the colossal capital and lobbying power held by these dominant companies, making it crucial that the federal government protect their livelihoods.
“For many decades, U.S. cattle farmers have demanded stronger, well-enforced rules to improve market competition,” said Tim Gibbons, Executive Director of the National Family Farm Coalition. “Over 80% of the U.S. cattle market is controlled by 4 multinational corporations, and we need our President and Congressional representatives to make good on their promises and put power back into the hands of farmers and consumers. These Executive Orders are a step in the right direction, but it’s time to back it up with real follow through and action. Farmers need transparent, fair and competitive markets that will keep them on the land, their businesses thriving, and benefit consumers at the store.”
One of the executive orders signals greater enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act to further protect market competition, a statute that NFFC has long supported reinvigorating in order to break up the Big Four. But the actions of the Administration to date tell a different story. In order to genuinely protect market competition for independent ranchers, the Administration should reverse course and cease its attacks on prior improvements to Packers and Stockyards Act enforcement. It should also restore staff capacity to the Department of Justice and the USDA’s now-reorganized Packers and Stockyards Division to investigate abuses by the dominant meatpacking companies. Congress must use the appropriations process to protect Packers and Stockyards Act rules and fund the staff responsible for enforcement of the law. Congress should also include policies that strengthen antitrust enforcement, like the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act (S.4007/H.R. 9744), in the Farm Bill.
The other executive order requires a review of policies across departments that affect ranchers and recommendations to promote enhanced market access. NFFC urges the USDA’s review to highlight and improve scale-appropriate policies that increase access to on-farm meat processing and alleviate bottlenecks in processing infrastructure, like the personal-use exemption guidance established in 2018. In addition to the funding opportunities and infrastructure improvements announced as part of the Ranchers First initiative, the Administration should encourage Congress to include the bipartisan LOCAL Foods Act (S.1212/H.R. 5341) in the Farm Bill to codify and build upon this guidance.
Finally, the Administration must back popular efforts to restore mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (MCOOL), which gives consumers a clear way to support US ranchers with their purchases at the grocery store. The Administration recently announced that it will import a whopping 660 million pounds of beef from abroad, a move already criticized by experts as unlikely to lower prices for consumers. Instead of flooding the domestic market with imported beef, NFFC calls for the Administration and Congress to implement a fair trade platform that would benefit American ranchers over the meatpackers who use trade policy to undercut them. Since the executive order merely allows the Administration to issue or amend MCOOL-related regulations “to the extent permitted under applicable law,” Congress must require the return of MCOOL for beef in the next Farm Bill.
NFFC is appreciative of any efforts to support the dedicated ranchers working hard to put food on our tables. The Administration and Congress must follow through with their promises and take decisive action to level the playing field for independent ranchers.
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Since 1986, the National Family Farm Coalition has been mobilizing independent farmers, ranchers, and fisher people to achieve fair prices, vibrant communities, and nourishing food free of corporate domination. Today, NFFC’s 30 member groups span more than 40 states and represent family farmers, ranchers, and fishermen across the United States. To learn more, visit www.nffc.net.