Reasons to Stop the NAIS

(National Animal Identification System)

This costly and poorly conceived program is now mandatory in some states. It requires farmers to tag each animal, in most cases using electronic identification, and report off-farm movements to a database via computer. Here are ten good reasons to nip this program in the bud.

1. Not needed. We have existing tracking systems that have met our needs for decades.
2. Expensive. The government has spent over $100 million on just the first stage so far, with no cost-benefit analysis. The costs of the whole program could easily be $37 or more per animal, creating a multi-billion dollar expense that will ultimately be paid through increased taxes and costs of food.
3. Technology-dependent. NAIS requires computers and internet access. Amish farmers don’t have electricity, and many other farmers don’t have or want internet access. This program makes high-tech companies rich, at the expense of everyone else.
4. Corporate welfare. The factory farms get to use “group identificationâ€