Pork Producers Ask USDA to Defend 'Other White Meat' Sale

In a meeting Wednesday with the USDA Office of General Counsel, representatives of the National Pork Producers Council demanded that USDA defend the purchase by the National Pork Board from NPPC of the Pork. The Other White Meat® trademarked assets. NPPC sold the trademarks to the Pork Board in 2006.

The Humane Society of the United States, a lone Iowa farmer and the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement in 2012 filed a lawsuit against USDA, seeking to have the sale rescinded. Initially, USDA defended the lawsuit, and it was dismissed for a lack of standing, but a federal appeals court in August 2015 reinstated the suit. Before any legal proceedings on the merits of the suit, USDA changed course and entered into settlement talks with HSUS. NPPC President John Weber says USDA should defend the industry.

Weber: "So I think they need to vigorously tell us that they are going to stand up and defend this case for what it is and respond to the industry in that way."

He says that the NPPC will continue its efforts.

Weber: "This is very concerning to pork producers and we think that the USDA would have a very strong legal case to defend the opposition of the current contract. We are concerned that maybe its already thrown in the towel. Believe me, we are going to be watching that as we move forward."