by Elizabeth | May 16, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biofuels, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Renewable Energy
Posted May 16, 2014 The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently rejected arguments challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2013 renewable fuel standard (RFS) , according to an article by The Hill available here. The Chicago...
by Elizabeth | May 16, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Environmental Law, Water Law
Posted May 16, 2014 Lawmakers recently announced a final deal on the $8.2 billion Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) and have filed a conference report, setting the bill for final passage next week, according to an article by The Hill available here....
by Elizabeth | May 16, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Farm Labor, Immigration, Labor
Posted May 16, 2014 Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, and the White House continue their push for a vote on immigration reform in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to an Agri-Pulse article available here. Vilsack recently participated in a...
by Elizabeth | May 15, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Law, Animal Welfare, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Law
Posted May 15, 2014 Ending a 14-year long battle over the welfare of circus elephants, the Humane Society of the United States and other animal welfare groups have agreed to pay Feld Entertainment $15.75 million, according to an article by the Bradenton Herald...
by Elizabeth | May 15, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Air Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency
Posted May 15, 2014 The Wyoming Farm Bureau recently filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) decision to grant local Tribes “Tribes-as-State” status under the Clean Air Act,...
by Elizabeth | May 15, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Welfare, Biosecurity, Biotechnology, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety
Posted May 15, 2014 The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a report on global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) concluding that AMR threatens the effective treatment and prevention of an increasing range in infections. The report is available here. ...
by Elizabeth | May 14, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, International Trade
Posted May 14, 2014 The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) recently determined that the U.S. sugar industry is likely materially injured by imports of sugar from Mexico, allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value, according to...
by Elizabeth | May 14, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Farm Bill, Hemp
Posted May 14, 2014 The Kentucky Department of Agriculture was prepared to go to court to get 250 pounds of hemp seeds released to the state after they were seized by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), but the DEA has now agreed to issue a permit by the end of the...
by Elizabeth | May 14, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted May 14, 2014 The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has joined AgGateway, a nonprofit organization for data and eBusiness in agriculture, according to a press release available here. AgProfessional also reported on the story here. “Our farmers...
by Elizabeth | May 13, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted May 13, 2014 The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture is looking to include language in the fiscal 2015 spending bill to stop school lunch reforms set to begin this July, according to an article by Politico available here. Nutrition advocates...
by Elizabeth | May 13, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Law, Country of Origin Labeling, Food Labeling
Posted May 13, 2014 The National Farmers Union (NFU) recently submitted additional testimony to the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit, following an April 30, 2014 hearing on the state of the livestock industry, according...
by Elizabeth | May 13, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Labeling
Posted May 13, 2014 Two food labeling cases recently reached settlement after a judge certified narrower classes of plaintiffs, according to an article by Forbes available here. The cases, Astiana v. Kashi Company and Thurston v. Bear Naked concerned “all natural”...
by Elizabeth | May 12, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Law
Posted May 12, 2014 Legislators in the United States Senate and House of Representatives are urging U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, Gina McCarthy, to withdraw the proposed rule defining “waters of the United States,” according to an article...
by Elizabeth | May 12, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biotechnology, Food Labeling
Posted May 12, 2014 After Vermont’s governor signed the law requiring labeling for foods with genetically modified (GMO) ingredients, the Grocery Manufacturers’ Association said it will file a lawsuit in federal court challenging the new law, according to an article...
by Elizabeth | May 12, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Commodity Programs, Crop Insurance, Disaster Assistance Programs, Farm Bill, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted May 12, 2014 Several farm groups recently asked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to consider all regional interests in selecting land-grant universities for the development of web-based tools to aid growers in making decisions under the 2014 Farm Bill,...
by Elizabeth | May 9, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Feeding Operations, Animal Welfare, International Trade
Posted May 9, 2014 Yesterday, JBS and Temple Grandin signed a technical cooperation agreement at the Beef Sumit Brasil event in Riberao Preto, according to an article by Meatingplace available here. According to the agreement, Grandin will “seek to evaluate and...
by Elizabeth | May 9, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Aquaculture, Farm Bill, Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted May 9, 2014 Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee, recently stated that he intends to continue the push to fully establish a catfish inspection program within USDA, according to an article by Y’all Politics available...
by Elizabeth | May 9, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted May 9, 2014 Maryland has joined the appeal involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay watershed, filing an amicus curiae brief in support of the EPA’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nitrogen,...
by Elizabeth | May 8, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act
Posted May 8, 2014 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a strategy document that emphasizes voluntary compliance, risk-based, oversight, and expanded cooperation in the food safety community, according to an article by The Packer available...
by Elizabeth | May 8, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted May 8, 2014 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA is seeking applications from rural agricultural producers and small businesses for grant and loan guarantee funding to make energy efficiency improvements or to install renewable...
