“Producer dollars should promote beef, not fund politics,” Beef Life CEO Wendy Collier wrote. What the Checkoff was designed to doThe Beef Checkoff was created in 1985 under the Beef Promotion and Research Act. In fiscal year 2024, the Beef Checkoff collected about $42 million at the national level, according to the CBB Financial Summary Report. According to the 2024 Beef Checkoff Impact Report, program leaders argue that producer dollars are delivering measurable results. The debate over the Beef Checkoff cuts to the heart of who controls the future of beef: grassroots producers or industry powerhouses.