War of words over lab-grown meat

With help from Helena Bottemiller Evich, Catherine Boudreau, Sabrina Rodriguez and Maya Parthasarathy

WAR OF WORDS OVER LAB-GROWN MEAT: Cell-cultured meat officially arrived on Washington’s radar last week, but there’s another non-regulatory tiff to keep an eye on: The raging fight over what on earth to call it.

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The debate over how to refer to this new class of products is altogether separate from the debate regulators will ultimately have about how the products are to be labeled — something that likely won’t be settled for a long time, as FDA and USDA are still jockeying for jurisdiction, and the products are not yet ready for market. But how these products are referred to colloquially is a question that will no doubt matter for consumer acceptance.

Little agreement: For all the buzz over the nascent Silicon-Valley-fueled sector, there’s surprisingly little consensus about what to call the products, which take the cells of food animals and grow them into tissues that can replicate meat products from sausages to spicy tuna rolls.

No name buzz: The lack of terminology sparked a healthy dose of press coverage in the wake of FDA’s public meeting on the sector last week. Some cheerleaders of the technology, many of whom are vegan and want to see the end of animal agriculture, prefer the term clean meat (an absolute no-go for the meat industry and food regulatory nerds alike). Others like calling it cultured meat, or cell-cultured meat, though neither term resonated with consumers. Lab-grown is popular in the media, in part because it’s easy to understand, but some in the industry hate the term. Cell-based, in vitro, craft, synthetic, imitation and fake are also tossed around.

How it played: The war of words is seeping into mainstream, national coverage: The Atlantic called it a “farcical battle,” while Slate published a deep dive into the politics of the labeling fight (both outlets, it should be noted, used “lab-grown” in their headlines). Other media outlets are using multiple terms (as are we). FoodNavigator, for example, ran a story on the meeting with a headline referring to it as cell-cultured meat, aka clean meat.

Aggies try to block ‘clean meat’: The agriculture industry certainly seems attuned to the massive potential underlying the terminology question. The Associated Press revealed last month that the former head of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, Randy Krotz, last fall had looked into how to potentially stop the term “clean meat” in its tracks by investigating it “from a trademark perspective,” according to emails. Krotz learned that someone else had already applied for the trademark, but claimed the group was able to land the @clean_meat Twitter handle.

More to come: You can expect to hear a lot more about this debate in the months and years to come, particularly as both sides of the issue conduct more market research with an eye to how crucial framing and terminology will be for the sector’s success or failure.

HAPPY MONDAY, JULY 16! Welcome to Morning Ag, where your host can’t believe this story over the weekend of a semi truck in Omaha, Neb. carrying thousands of hot dogs catching fire. Send your hot dog puns, news and tips to lcrampton@politico.com or @liz_crampton. Follow the whole team: @Morning_Ag.

PRO SUMMIT: GOTTLIEB TO TALK FOOD, HEALTH POLICY: Pro Ag’s Catherine Boudreau on Tuesday morning will get to ask FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb about how the agency plans to oversee the burgeoning lab-grown meat industry during an on-stage interview at the POLITICO Pro Summit. Gottlieb also has yet to weigh in on the Trump administration’s plan to reorganize the federal government, including a proposal to shift FDA’s food safety authorities over to USDA, which already regulates meat, poultry, catfish and egg products (FDA is responsible for the rest of the food supply).

The conversation will be co-moderated by Pro Health’s Sarah Karlin-Smith, who plans to dive into prescription drug prices and increasing oversight of tobacco products. More details about the all-day event for Pro subscribers can be found here.

CONTINUITY ON MEXICO’S SIDE IN NAFTA TALKS: Mexico’s incoming and outgoing governments will present a united front in the NAFTA renegotiation, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said on Friday. While Mexico, Canada and the U.S. still haven’t made official plans to reconvene the trade talks, Videgaray’s remarks clear the way for talks to resume again after the country’s July 1 election ushered in a win for leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Videgaray promised on Friday after a meeting with high-level U.S. officials — including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — that President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration and López Obrador's team will work “as one front, as a joint front for Mexico — that’s how we’re working on the relationship with the United States.”

The new administration will officially take office on Dec. 1. The current government will work “in close coordination with López Obrador’s negotiating team on the free trade agreement,” Videgaray added, emphasizing that Mexico remains committed to working “at an accelerated pace to reach a successful [NAFTA] renegotiation as soon as it’s possible."

Where we’re at: Talks between the U.S., Mexico and Canada have been largely stalled for almost two months as a result of major differences on issues such as market access for dairy, investor-state dispute settlement and a so-called sunset clause. But officials from the three countries have repeatedly said that talks would pick back up after the election.

The future of the NAFTA renegotiation falls on the Trump administration right now, said Eric Farnsworth, vice president for Council of the Americas.

“The biggest issue in NAFTA is that there’s a fundamental difference as to how we view trade, the purpose of NAFTA and the definition of its success,” Farnsworth said, adding that it’s up to the U.S. to change its approach.

AMLO knows the U.S.’s importance to the pact: López Obrador will likely seek a positive relationship with the U.S. because his large-scale agenda requires it, Farnsworth added.

“A lot of AMLO’s ability to be able to achieve his agenda will depend on a growing economy, and Mexico’s economy depends a lot on the United States,” Farnsworth said. “Fighting corruption and poverty requires resources.” Pro’s Sabrina Rodriguez has more here.

Hearing alert: The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday will discuss the effects tariffs are having on U.S. agriculture and rural communities.

JUST RELEASED: View the latest POLITICO/AARP poll to better understand Arizona voters over 50, a voting bloc poised to shape the midterm election outcome. Get up to speed on priority issues for Hispanic voters age 50+, who will help determine whether Arizona turns blue or stays red.

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USDA TRYING TO FIX SNAP’S FARMERS MARKET EXILE: This story made waves on social media last week as some were shocked to learn that thousands of farmers markets across the country would no longer be able to accept SNAP EBT cards because the main company offering processing technology, the Novo Dia Group, is pulling its service. That decision was made because the service is highly regulated and cost-prohibitive, the company said, leaving many SNAP recipients unable to purchase fruits, vegetables and other items during peak farmers market season.

Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Sanford Bishop said in a joint statement that they want to “see a timely solution to this impending problem” (the company is set to pull out by the end of July). “Any loss of access to SNAP benefits at farmers markets would result in increased hunger and food insecurity for low-income people and decreased revenues for America’s small farmers and ranchers.”

USDA responded at length on Friday. It said the move is “of great concern” because there are only a few players offering that technology. “Since being notified of the provider’s decision to discontinue service, USDA has been exploring all available options in an attempt to avoid a service disruption,” the statement read. “Our number one goal is to mitigate the impact on our program participants as well as farmers and producers.”

** A message from the Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy: American small businesses and manufacturing workers deserve a fair sugar policy that works for everyone in the supply chain – from farm to retail shelf. Thank you to those in Congress who have supported the widespread, bipartisan effort to modernize the U.S. sugar program. Learn about our efforts at FairSugarPolicy.org. **

FARM BILL PICKS BACK UP: We could see some farm bill action this week as the House is expected to vote on a motion to move to conference — the formal step that will push the bill along and bring it closer to conference negotiations with the Senate. Senate Agriculture ranking member Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said Thursday that the Senate is just waiting for the House to make the first move, which is required by procedural rules.

“Process is king around here,” Stabenow said. “All I can say is that we moved our bill quickly and we’re anxious to go to conference.”

ROW CROPS:

— New cases linked to Del Monte veggies: The FDA has received reports of 15 new cases of an intestinal illness linked to recalled Del Monte vegetable trays, the agency announced Friday. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb added that the Del Monte case is not believed to be connected to a separate outbreak of Cyclospora possibly linked to McDonald’s salads sold in Illinois and Iowa.

— Trump reelection campaign stockpiling cash: Trump’s campaign operation raised $18 million between April and the end of June overall, a slight decrease from the $20 million it had raised during the first three months of the year. Campaign Pro’s Maggie Severns has more here.

— Trump’s latest trade comments: In an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor Jeff Glor in Scotland on Saturday, the president named the European Union as one of the U.S.’ biggest global adversaries. “I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade,” Trump said.

— Feinstein gets progressive smackdown: California Democrats on Saturday didn’t endorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein for her fifth reelection bid, instead voting to back progressive state Sen. Kevin de León in the general election, signaling what many fear will be a divisive Democrat-on-Democrat battle. More from POLITICO here.

— Canadian farmers hurt by U.S.-China trade feud: Canadian soybean farmers have found themselves in the “crossfire” of heightening U.S.-China trade tensions because Canadian soybean prices are closely linked to the U.S. futures market. Soybean prices are down nearly 20 percent since early April when China first announced its 25 percent retaliatory duty on U.S. soybeans. More from CNBC here.

— Oregon’s GMO grass invasion: Agribusiness companies created a genetically-engineered bentgrass, designed for golf courses, that is resistant to the herbicide Roundup. Now the grass, which wasn’t approved for release by USDA, has accidentally spread throughout irrigation systems in Oregon, and landowners fear it could invade natural areas and contaminate non-GMO crops. More from High Country News here.

— USDA’s McKinney to lead trade mission: Ted McKinney, USDA’s Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, will head up a trade mission today through Thursday to explore agricultural export opportunities in Southeast Asia. He’ll be joined by a host of U.S. business and state government leaders.

— Union Pacific CEO makes case for free trade: The CEO of freight rail company Union Pacific, Lance Fritz, spoke out against pulling out of NAFTA, saying it would jeopardize millions of trade jobs tied to Mexico and Canada. Forty percent of Union Pacific traffic starts or ends in the U.S., and the railroad handles 70 percent of trade entering or leaving Mexico. More from the Omaha World-Herald here.

— Soda epidemic in Mexican region: Potable water is increasingly scarce in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico, so many residents drink Coca-Cola, which is produced by a local bottling plant and can be easier to find than bottled water. Some consume more than a half-gallon a day. Diabetes is now the second-leading cause of death in the state after heart disease. More from The New York Times here.

CORRECTION: The July 13 edition of Morning Agriculture misidentified the news outlet that reported a story on how churches are working to address a lack of access in black communities to healthy, fresh and affordable food. The story was reported by Civil Eats and republished by Public Radio International through a partnership.

THAT'S ALL FOR MA! See you again soon! In the meantime, drop your host and the rest of the team a line: cboudreau@politico.com and @ceboudreau; hbottemiller@politico.com and @hbottemiller; chaughney@politico.com and @chaughney; and lcrampton@politico.com and @liz_crampton; and @sabrod123; jlauinger@politico.com and @jmlauinger; and pjoshi@politico.com and @pjoshiny. You can also follow @POLITICOPro and @Morning_Ag on Twitter.

** A message from the Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy: Over the past year, we have seen an unprecedented groundswell of voices calling on Congress to modernize the U.S. sugar program, including thousands of small businesses, newspaper editorial boards and taxpayer watchdog, consumer protection, and environmental groups. Thank you to our bipartisan group of champions in Congress who have led the fight to modernize the outdated and outrageous U.S. sugar program, including Reps. Virginia Foxx and Danny Davis and Sen. Pat Toomey. We are committed to advocating for the modernization of the 80-year-old U.S. program. It's time for a spoonful of fairness that creates an adequate supply of sugar based on a reasonable competitive approach - all while keeping an appropriate safety net for farmers. To learn more, please visit FairSugarPolicy.org. **

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