JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Independent Cattlemen of Missouri made it clear Tuesday why they are independent: specialist interests have clouded the meat industry and made it more difficult for Missourians to know where they are getting their beef and pork from.

A handful of ranchers joined State Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, at a news conference in the Capitol to announce a bipartisan push to get meat products to have labels on them featuring country of origin.

“It urges the federal government to reinstate country of origin labeling,” Moon said of his resolution and a similar one from State Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-St. Louis County. “The reason for this is we have come to realize that people are concerned about where their food comes from.”

Moon said all meat used to have such labels before a change was made in 2015.

“We do have country of origin labeling for all fruits and vegetables and chicken, but not for pork and beef,” he said. “So why is that?”

Moon and McCreery’s resolutions provide context for that question.

In 2008, “the United States Congress overwhelmingly passed mandatory country of origin labeling for muscle cuts and ground meat sold at retail, requiring meat produced from imported livestock or imported boxed meat to bear a different label from meat produced from United States born, raised, and slaughtered livestock,” the resolution reads.

Then in 2015, a reversal of sorts.

“The United States Congress repealed the country-of-origin labeling law for beef and pork, reducing the competitive advantage of products born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States,” the resolutions read. The primary trigger for this: world trade.

“We would like to see (country of labeling law) reinstated,” Freddie Keaton, president of the Independent Cattlemen of Missouri, said. “We think that it is imperative that our consumers have the right to choose and know where their food comes from.”

While not directly criticizing his in-state colleagues, Keaton pointed to deep pocketed groups like the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association as part of the reason why there hasn’t been a reversal on the controversial 2015 provision.

“We come together because we differ on some key issues with the Missouri Cattlemen’s (Association),” Keaton said. “We feel they don’t represent us, or the independent producers of the state.”

Keaton said at this point it’s not about politics, but rather saving the meat producing industry in the United States. He points to a steep decline in cattle ranchers over the last four decades, a decrease by what he says is more than 50 percent.

“So, in 40 years’ time, we have lost half of our cattle ranchers in this country, right?” Keaton said. “Who’s been representing us and who’s been dictating policy for the last 40 years?”

“If we want something to change and we want to go in a new direction, we’re going to have to start listening to some new voices.”

Keaton pointed to the meat packing lobby as one of the main roadblocks to reinstating country of origin labeling. And while these resolutions can’t change law, he hopes it will at least get the attention of those who can change it.

“That it would get Senator Hawley and Senator Schmidt to wake up and say, ‘Hey, the Missouri people want this,’” Keaton said. “We’re gonna help you to move forward and we’re going to do what’s right for the American people.’