Humane Society Sues USDA over Pork Slogan Deal

September 26, 2012 — 

In a federal lawsuit filed Monday, the Humane Society of the United States has accused the National Pork Board of entering into an unlawful backroom deal with a lobbying group for the $60 million purchase of a slogan to the detriment of animal welfare and farmers.

The Humane Society is asking a federal court in Washington, D.C. to set aside the six-year-old agreement and order the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to recover funds that were distributed in connection with the deal.

At issue: the "Pork: The Other White Meat" slogan, which the National Pork Board acquired in 2006 from the National Pork Producers Council, an organization representing the interests of pork producers and whose agenda conflicts with that of the Humane Society.

The Humane Society and Harvey Dillenburg, an independent pig farmer, claim in the lawsuit USDA's approval of the funds for the slogan resulted in checkoff expenditures being unlawfully used to further lobbying efforts at the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). The suit further alleges the price tag paid for the slogan is inflated, resulting in 20 annual installments of $3 million that continue today even though the slogan has been replaced with a new one.

Responding to the lawsuit, National Pork Board CEO Chris Novak declared the purchase of "The Other White Meat" registered trademark was "legitimate". He also pointed out the National Pork Board continues to use the old slogan.

Neil Dierks, the CEO of NPPC, stated "it appears there is no legal merit to this claim, and it is another desperate attempt by the radical activist group to severely curtail animal agriculture and take away consumer food choices."

Source: Food Product Design, September 25, 2012