Russ Feingold: Press Release

FEINGOLD, KOHL FIGHT TO PROTECT WISCONSIN’S PREMIUM GINSENG
Pending Legislation in the Farm Bill Would Help Consumers Identify Ginseng Harvested in the U.S.

February 26, 2008

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) continue to fight to protect Wisconsin ginseng, which is widely heralded as the premier ginseng in the world. The Wisconsin senators are urging the Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman and Ranking Member to keep a requirement in the Senate Farm Bill that raw ginseng root be labeled to identify the country where it was harvested. Wisconsin produces over 90 percent of the ginseng grown in the United States. Yet, the high demand for ginseng has led to smugglers from Canada and Asia labeling their ginseng, which often has traces of pesticides and other chemicals not approved in the US, as “Wisconsin-grown”, misleading consumers and undercutting domestic ginseng growers. A country-of-harvest label would help consumers and producers by ensuring that consumers who pay a premium for Wisconsin-grown ginseng are getting what they pay for and that the higher prices find their way back to the pockets of hard-working American ginseng farmers.

“This ginseng labeling provision is crucial for Wisconsin ginseng farmers and consumers who lose when foreign farmers free-load off of Wisconsin ginseng’s unparalleled reputation,” Feingold said. “The final Farm Bill must maintain this simple provision to ensure that consumers looking for Wisconsin ginseng are getting the real thing and not a knock-off.”

“The strong reputation earned by Wisconsin ginseng growers can only be protected by requiring the exact country of harvest label for this product,” Kohl said. “With this common-sense provision, the Farm Bill will restore honesty to the market to safeguard consumers and domestic ginseng farmers alike.”

The ginseng provision in the Senate version of the Farm Bill was based on the Wisconsin lawmakers’ Ginseng Harvest Labeling Act of 2007. Feingold and Kohl worked hard to ensure the ginseng labeling provision in the Farm Bill was straight-forward, reasonable for importers, wholesalers, and retailers of ginseng. The Ginseng Harvest Labeling Act of 2007 is supported by the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin, the American Herbal Products Association, and the United Natural Products Alliance.

A copy of the letter can be viewed here.


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