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Texas Agriculture Archive

March 21, 2003

Acronyms getting out of hand

By Mike Barnett
Editor

Now here's a headline for you, straight off a news release I received this morning: "LMA, R-CALF USA urge producers to ignore 'misinformation' about COOL."

Translation: "Livestock Marketing Association, Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America, urge producers to ignore 'misinformation' about Country of Origin Labeling."

No wonder the writers of the news release took a shortcut. Can you imagine the translated headline gracing your newspaper page? It would be longer than the story!

Welcome to the wonderful, wacky world of acronyms (definition: a word formed from the initial letters or parts of a word), where confusion reigns and catchy organization, government agency names and issue designations are limited only by the author's imagination.

I'm not picking on anyone here, but the use of acronyms is getting out of hand. Sure, they're a handy tool for journalists and pleasantly roll off the tongue when spoken. But when acronyms breed like rabbits and threaten to over-populate the English language, it's time to FOCB (Fish or Cut Bait).

Just take a look at agriculture organization acronyms to see how their use has exploded.

Let's start with general farm organizations like our own TFB and AFBF. Specialized commodity groups have chosen shortcuts such as NCGA, NCC, NWGA and NGFA.

Branch out to the livestock industry and you get TSCRA, TCFA, LMA, ICA, ABBA (not to be confused with the '70's Swedish rock group), ACA, AGA, AHA, NCBA, USMEF, AICA, APA, ARBA and—three, count them, three—ASAs.

Then there's the NPPA, BBU, IBBA, BAA (not a sheep group), NALF, TBC, LCI, and don't forget the NBA (no, these are not extremely leggy cattle that can dribble).

Then you start dealing with the government, particularly USDA, you have to know your ABCs to know which offshoot you need to work with—AMS, ARS, APHIS, GIPSA, ERS, FSA, FSIS, FAS, NASS, NRCS, RMA or LMNOP (sorry, got carried away on that last one).

If that's not enough delve into the farm bill and plow your way through a confusing field of acronyms. Know your DCPs from your PFCs and AMTAs? Does FSA know your MYA? Did the CCC determine the right PCP so your LDP is figured correctly?

Confused? Read on. So you want to take advantage of some of the conservation programs. Are you EQIPed to tell the difference between CRP and GRP? Are you going to call the NRCS when questions arise about the CPGL, FPP, or the RC&D? And I'd rather be WHIPed than try to figure out what NNRCF means. No wonder Texas Farm Bureau delegates at the last convention asked the Agriculture Department to do away with the acronyms and instead speak English.

The alphabet soup goes on and on. When it comes to trade, who's to say whether NAFTA or CAFTA is in the best interests of our country? Do we take the USTR's word that agreements meet the approval of the WTO's CoA and do we really care if the EU signs off or not? Perplexing, isn't it?

And look at the environmental/activist groups that so often oppose us. PETA sure doesn't stand for People Eating Tasty Animals. FOE's truly lives up to its acronym as far as agriculture's concerned. And, contrary to popular opinion, WWF's goal is not to promote wrestling, but to save the earth.

So where do we go from here? Is it time to turn the tide and delegate acronyms to the dust bin of the English language? Should we let all current acronyms RIP and automatically designate any new acronyms DOA? Those actions would sure clear up a lot of confusion. Then again, it probably wouldn't do any good. A new AA—Acronym's Anonymous—would probably spring up to fill the void!

Editor's Note: Confused about any of the acroynms I used? E-mail me if you can't figure one or more out at mbarnett@txfb.org.