by Elizabeth | Apr 9, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Commodity Programs, Crop Insurance
Posted April 9, 2014 Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) recently introduced legislation that would cap crop insurance premium subsidies at $70,000 per farm each year, according to an Agri-Pulse article available here. The Senators say the new...
by Elizabeth | Apr 9, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Biosecurity, Food Safety, International Trade, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 9, 2014 China has imposed tougher restrictions for imports of live pigs from the U.S., citing concerns about the deadly porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), according to an article by the Wall Street Journal available here. PEDv has killed over...
by Elizabeth | Apr 8, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act
Posted April 8, 2014 The FDA needs increased funding in FY 2015 to completely implement rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), according to an Agri-Pulse article available here. FDA Administrator Margaret Hamburg recently told a Senate panel that the...
by Elizabeth | Apr 8, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Country of Origin Labeling, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 8, 2014 The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals recently vacated the March 28 ruling denying the American Meat Institute’s attempt to block USDA’s final rule on country-of-origin labeling (COOL). The Court will rehear the case en banc on May 19, according to...
by Elizabeth | Apr 8, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Law
April 8, 2014 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrators recently acted to explain the proposed rule clarifying the phrase “waters of the U.S.” under the Clean Water Act. Farm and Ranch Guide published an op-ed by Gina McCarthy, EPA Administrator...
by Elizabeth | Apr 7, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food Labeling
Posted April 7, 2014 The National Agricultural Law Center offers a wide range of resources, one of which is the Food Labeling Reading Room available here. Food labeling is generally regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Food and Drug...
by Elizabeth | Apr 7, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted April 7, 2014 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently responded to the American Bar Association’s (ABA) concerns regarding USDA’s revocation of a statement of policy on public participation in rulemaking in a letter dated March 20, 2014. On October...
by Elizabeth | Apr 7, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Commodity Programs, Crop Insurance, Disaster Assistance Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, Farm Bill, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 7, 2014 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently released a progress report for the implementation of the farm bill including several implementation dates for programs, according to an Agri-Pulse article available here. A USDA new release is...
by Elizabeth | Apr 4, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Food Safety, Pesticides
Posted April 4, 2014 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently ordered the Pathway Investment Corp. of Englewood, New Jersey to stop the sale of plastic food storage containers that have not been tested or registered with the EPA in violation of...
by Elizabeth | Apr 4, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Conservation Programs, Environmental Law, Farm Bill, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 4, 2014 U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) recently suggested that USDA consider designating the Lower Mississippi River Valley as one of the Critical Conservation Areas established by the 2014 farm bill, according to a press release from Sen. Cochran’s...
by Elizabeth | Apr 4, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biotechnology, Food Labeling
Posted April 4, 2014 The California legislature is considering a bill that would require labels for bulk and packaged foods containing genetically modified (GMO) ingredients beginning in 2016, according to an article by the LA Times available here. Senate Bill...
by Elizabeth | Apr 3, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Crop Insurance, Disaster Assistance Programs, Farm Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 3, 2014 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack reassured lawmakers that he does not anticipate any closures of Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices this year, according to an article by AgWeek available here. Midwest Producer also reported on the story...
by Elizabeth | Apr 3, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Law, Fish and Wildlife Service
Posted April 3, 2014 The U.S. House delegation from Arkansas recently introduced legislation that would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to consider social and economic factors for landowners before issuing a Critical Habitat Designation (CHD),...
by Elizabeth | Apr 3, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biotechnology, Food and Drug Administration, Food Labeling, Food Safety
Posted April 3, 2014 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon finalize its voluntary guidance on labeling for genetically modified foods, according to an article by Agri-Pulse available here. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, testifying before a...
by Elizabeth | Apr 2, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Disaster Assistance Programs, Farm Bill, Farm Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 2, 2014 USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator, Juan M. Garcia, recently announced the extension of the Milk Income Loss Contract Program, according to an FSA news release available here. Agri-Pulse also reported on the story here. The...
by Elizabeth | Apr 2, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Aquaculture, Business Organizations, Continuing Education, Marketing Orders
Posted April 2, 2014 The National Sea Grant Law Center and the National Agricultural Law Center, in collaboration with the University of Illinois Extension; Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences; the Aquaculture and Fisheries...
by Elizabeth | Apr 2, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Conservation Programs, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Law, Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 2, 2014 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently announced its final listing of the lesser prairie-chicken as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), according to an article by Agri-Pulse available here. A “threatened” listing...
by Elizabeth | Apr 2, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted April 2, 2014 The Arkansas Bar Association, the National Agricultural Law Center, and the National Sea Grant Law Center will host the first annual Mid-South Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference on May 16, 2014. Come and learn from some of the top...
by Elizabeth | Apr 1, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Country of Origin Labeling, Food Labeling, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 1, 2014 On Friday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the meat industry’s request for an injunction to block USDA’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulations, according to an article by The Hill available here. The opinion is available...
by Elizabeth | Apr 1, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted April 1, 2014 The comment period for the FDA’s Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) proposed rule on “Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventative Controls for Food for Animals” closed on Monday, with several groups...
