by Elizabeth | Jun 4, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted June 4, 2014 Two U.S. senators introduced legislation to end U.S. restrictions on international food aid programs, which would save hundreds of millions of dollars per year and provide aid to some 9 million hungry people around the world, according to an...
by Elizabeth | Jun 3, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Air Act, Cooperatives, Environmental Protection Agency, Rural Development
Posted June 3, 2014 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a draft rule seeking 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, based on 2005 emission levels from existing power plants, according to an article on Hoosier Ag Today by Gary Truitt...
by Elizabeth | Jun 3, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food Safety
Posted June 3, 2014 An Iowa company has agreed to pay $6.8 million in fines for crimes that include the selling of tainted eggs, which caused a nationwide salmonella outbreak in 2010, according to an NBC News article by The Associated Press available here. The New...
by Elizabeth | Jun 2, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Aquaculture, Food and Drug Administration, Food Labeling
Posted June 2, 2014 The head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says new advisory guidelines are on the way for pregnant women concerning mercury levels in seafood, according to an article on Kansas First News available here. ABC News also published an...
by Elizabeth | Jun 2, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Labeling
Posted June 2, 2014 Senator Claire McCaskill, along with a bipartisan group of Senators, requests flexibility on new food labeling rules, according to an article on ABC KSPR 33 available here. The group urges the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to...
by Elizabeth | Jun 2, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Welfare, Farm Bill, Farm Service Agency, Food Safety, Marketing Orders, Nutrition Programs, Rural Development
Posted June 2, 2014 On Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations bill on a vote of 31-18, according to a press release available here. Farm Futures also published an article available here and High Plains...
by Elizabeth | May 30, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety
Posted May 30, 2014 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is implementing administrative detention authority with respect to drugs intended for human or animal use as authorized by amendments made to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by the Food and Drug...
by Elizabeth | May 30, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Labeling
Posted May 30, 2014 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a public meeting to discuss two proposed rules aimed at updating nutrition information and serving size requirements on the nutrition facts labels. The Federal Register Notice is available here....
by Elizabeth | May 30, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Commodity Programs
Posted May 30, 2014 On December 12, 2013, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) published a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish speculative position limits for 28 exempt and agricultural commodity futures and options contracts and the physical...
by Elizabeth | May 30, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Crop Insurance, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted May 30, 2014 The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalized the addition of a new regulation that provides forage seed insurance. The Federal Register Notice is available here. The provisions will be used in conjunction with the Common Crop Insurance...
by Elizabeth | May 30, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Cooperatives
Posted May 30, 2014 The U.S. Department of Justice has published a notice of proposed Final Judgment and Competitive Impact Statement in an antitrust case, United States of America v. Conagra Foods, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 1:14-cv-823. The Federal Register...
by Elizabeth | May 30, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Nutrition Programs, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted May 30, 2014 At the House Appropriations Committee, Republicans moved forward with the plan to offer school districts a one-year waiver to opt out of improved nutrition standards, promoted by Michelle Obama, according to an article on Politico by David Rogers...
by Elizabeth | May 30, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Law, Landowner Liability
Posted May 30, 2014 For most people, dogs are part of the family, however, for farm families, dogs go beyond the family duties and help protect the farm assets – the livestock. Serious problems can arise from loose dogs resulting in monetary and even emotional loss...
by Elizabeth | May 29, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Finance and Credit
Posted May 29, 2014 Tyson Foods, Inc. has announced its proposal to acquire The Hillshire Brands Company for $50 per share in cash, according to a news release by Tyson available here. The New York Times also published an article available here, Fortune here, and...
by Elizabeth | May 29, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biosecurity, Biotechnology, Food Safety, Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted May 29, 2014 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accused of failing to protect consumers by allowing the sale of meat that contains drug-resistant strains of salmonella, according to an article on NBC News by Jonel Aleccia available here. Chicago...
by Elizabeth | May 29, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted May 29, 2014 An Indiana farm has become the first to publicly confirm that it suffered a second outbreak of a deadly pig virus, according to an article on NBC News available here. Fox News also published an article available here, Reuters here, and Global...
by Elizabeth | May 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Law
Posted May 28, 2014 A northwest Iowa cattle producer has agreed to a pay a court ordered $12,000 fine for improperly applying manure on fields that flowed into a tributary of a local creek in 2012, according to an article by The Associated Press available here. WCF...
by Elizabeth | May 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Conservation Programs, Environmental Law, Farm Bill, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted May 28, 2014 On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) traveled to Michigan to launch a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program to fund public-private partnerships to reduce...
by Elizabeth | May 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Disaster Assistance Programs, Water Law
Posted May 28, 2014 The California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF) applauded the U.S. Senate’s passage of bill to address water problems caused by the drought and urged Congress to begin negotiations to reconcile the bill with legislation passed earlier by the House...
by Elizabeth | May 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Cooperatives, Crop Insurance, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted May 28, 2014 Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to consider delaying the final crop insurance planting deadline for corn this year and other crops in the coming years, according to an...