Checkoff programs have been instrumental in the history of agricultural advertising. Famous campaigns such as “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.” have been paid for using family farmers’ checkoff tax dollars. However, checkoff programs have fallen under the control of big agribusiness interests, and oftentimes the billions of dollars paid into checkoff programs by hard working family farmers and ranchers end up being used to lobby for policies that hurt them. This could change in the 2018 Farm Bill with the inclusion of Senate Bill 741, co-sponsored by Senators Lee, Booker, and Paul. Senate Bill 741 would prohibit lobbying, rein in conflicts of interest, and stop anti-competitive activities that harm other commodities and consumers.

The proposed legislation follows growing concern over checkoff program spending. In November 2017, the U.S. Government Accountability Office called on USDA to increase oversight of all 22 of the checkoff programs. It found that USDA does not routinely review checkoff program subcontracts, impairing its ability to spot when funds are being misused. Further, GAO found that USDA does not ensure that certain documents, such as budget summaries and evaluations of effectiveness, are shared with stakeholders on program websites. According to GAO, USDA agreed with these findings.

A History of Injustice

Below are the 10 most egregious abuses of the checkoff programs, compiled by the Organization for Competitive Markets: