Tag: agriculture
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Biden Announces USDA Efforts to Increase Competition in Meat and Poultry Markets
The Biden administration has announced a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule it says will promote inclusive competition and market integrity in the livestock, meat and poultry markets. At a September 26 meeting of the White House Competition Council, President Joe Biden announced the proposed Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity rules under the Packers…
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EPA Denies Petition Requesting Rulemaking on Insecticide-Coated Seeds
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a petition from the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and other groups calling on the agency to amend or formally interpret the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as not exempting seeds covered in insecticide and thus requiring compliance with registration and labeling under FIFRA. CFS filed…
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EU Announces “Farm to Fork Strategy”
The European Commission has announced the adoption of strategies to support biodiversity and “transition to a sustainable EU food system that safeguards food security and ensures access to healthy diets sourced from a healthy planet.” “The coronavirus crisis has underlined the importance of a robust and resilient food system that functions in all circumstances, and…
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USDA Implements Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a rule implementing the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which was allocated $9.5 billion in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act. CFAP provides financial support for agricultural producers affected by COVID-19 to help offset sales losses. The Farm Service Agency and Agricultural Marketing Service will…
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Farmworker Labor Unions Sue Washington for Inadequate COVID-19 Protections
Multiple labor unions have reportedly filed a lawsuit alleging that Washington’s Departments of Health and Labor & Industries failed to provide guidance that would protect farmworkers from increased risks of COVID-19 infection. The unions seek an injunction that would require the agencies to expedite oversight through emergency rulemaking. “Lack of enforceable rules regarding social distancing,…
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Center for Food Safety Challenges Organic Certification for Hydroponic Food
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) and several agricultural firms have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) challenging the agency’s denial of the group’s petition seeking to ban organic certification of hydroponic food growers. Ctr. for Food Safety v. Perdue, No. 20-1537 (N.D. Cal., filed March 2, 2020). USDA denied CFS’s…
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Kansas City Star Digs Into Fraudulent Organics Purveyor
The Kansas City Star has detailed the story of Randy Constant, a Chillicothe, Missouri, man who fraudulently sold millions of dollars’ worth of “organic” grains—as much as 7% of all the corn and 8% of all the soybeans sold nationally as organic in 2016. Federal investigators began looking into Constant when a competitor tipped off…
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France to Ban Mass Culling of Male Chicks
France’s agriculture minister has reportedly announced that the country will prohibit the mass culling of male chicks shortly after they hatch and ban the castration of piglets without anesthesia in an effort to support animal welfare. The minister indicated his intention to have the regulations take effect by the end of 2021. Germany previously banned…