Florida Cattlemen Join Southeast Effort to Oppose EU Deforestation Rule at NCBA Convention
The Florida Cattlemen’s Association is joining with other Southeastern states to push back against the European Union’s deforestation rule through the policy process at the NCBA Convention and Trade Show. The effort is focused on protecting land-use flexibility and private property rights for cattle producers and landowners across the region.
During the convention, producers have the opportunity not only to attend trade show events and educational sessions, but also to directly influence the policy direction of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association by participating in committee meetings. Florida cattle leaders say that engagement is especially important this year as international regulations continue to impact U.S. agriculture.
Dusty Holley with the Florida Cattlemen’s Association explained that one of the key policy efforts Florida has signed onto involves the EU’s deforestation initiative. The rule has raised concerns among Southeastern producers who operate on long-term land management rotations that include timber, pasture, cattle grazing, and logging. In some cases, these rotations span decades and are a cornerstone of sustainable land use in the region.
According to Holley, the regulation is already influencing decisions by large lumber companies, some of which are now unwilling to harvest timber if the land will later be converted to grazing or other agricultural uses. That shift creates challenges for producers who rely on integrated land-use systems and undermines established management practices in the Southeast.
Florida cattle leaders note that while the policy is tied to concerns about deforestation, particularly in places like the Brazilian rainforest, it has little relevance to U.S. production systems. Despite that, the regulation is creating real and immediate problems for American landowners, especially in timber and cattle-producing states.
By bringing the issue forward through NCBA’s policy process, Florida and other Southeastern states aim to elevate the concern to a national level. The goal is to establish strong policy guidance that allows NCBA’s team in Washington, D.C., to more effectively advocate on behalf of producers.
Florida Cattlemen’s Association leaders say continued collaboration with neighboring states is critical to ensuring that international regulations do not unfairly restrict U.S. landowners or disrupt long-standing agricultural practices across the Southeast.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.