The Fond du Lac County Dairy and Livestock extension agent says common food name protections in future trade agreements are critical for Wisconsin dairy farmers. A group of 61 U.S. senators, including Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, recently sent a letter to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Department of Agriculture calling for U.S. policy to protect the uses of common food names. Extension agent Tina Kohlman says it’s especially important for dairy farmers and cheese processors when it comes to the names of cheeses. The effort is directed at the European Union which has used trade agreements to block American-produced chese from using common cheese names like feta, parmesan and gouda in international markets. Kohlman says Wisconsin dairy farmers want to sell their cheese products just as they were developed and intended to be.
