Giving Compass' Take:

• Christopher Walljasper discusses the worries about food safety as the Brazilian meat company, Marfrig, is currently under investigation and is now the majority owner of one of the biggest beef processors in America.

• How does the U.S. plan to strengthen its food policy and security? How does this impact local farmers and cattle ranchers? 

• Here's why Colorado lawmakers wanted to label imported beef.

National Beef Packing Company, the fourth largest beef processor in the United States, is now approximately 80% owned by a company from another nation. That has some cattle ranchers worried.

In November, the Brazilian-owned meatpacker Marfrig Global Foods S.A. announced it would acquire 31% of National Beef from New York City-based investment bank Jefferies Financial Group for $970 million. This comes after an initial purchase of around half the Kansas City, Missouri-based company in June 2018.

In response to the announcement, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on December 3, asking the Treasury Department to review the purchase.

The letter claims the acquisition threatens American food security by opening the door for inferior quality meat from Brazil to make it into U.S. hamburgers. It also alleges Marfrig used bribes to obtain loans from the Brazilian National Development Bank, which funded its purchase of National Beef.

“We’re pushing back against foreign ownership. We’re pushing back against consolidation,” said Lia Biondo, director of policy and outreach for U.S. Cattlemen’s Association. “We view it as a national security concern and could impact the ability of our nation to feed itself or end up harming consumers.”

Read the full article about foreign ownership of beef packing causing concern by Christopher Walljasper at The New Food Economy.