by Elizabeth | Oct 1, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Crop Insurance, Farm Bill, Nutrition Programs
Posted October 1, 2013 The farm bill extension, which was passed last year after Congress was unable to pass a comprehensive bill, has expired. Key provisions of the farm bill – crop insurance and the SNAP program – will not see an immediate impact, but the lack of...
by Elizabeth | Oct 1, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food Labeling, Food Safety, Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted October 1, 2013 Minnesota pizza firm, Junction Pizza, has recalled approximately 17,194 pounds of frozen pizza products containing soy lecithin, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product labels. For a complete list of the products recalled, the...
by Elizabeth | Oct 1, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, International Trade, National Organic Program, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted October 1, 2013 The United States and Japan have announced that beginning January 1, 2014, organic products certified in Japan or in the US may be sold as organic in either country, according to a USDA News Release, available here. Secretary of Agriculture,...
by Elizabeth | Sep 30, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 30, 2013 A U.S. District Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) which challenged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s approval of the National Pork Board’s purchase of the marketing slogan, “Pork: The...
by Elizabeth | Sep 30, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biofuels, Renewable Energy
Posted September 30, 2013 Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, called on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC) to review allegations of possible manipulation of the markets for...
by Elizabeth | Sep 27, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Continuing Education, Food Safety, Labor, Land Use Regulation, Local Food Systems, Marketing Orders, Right to Farm, Urban Agriculture
Posted September 27, 2013 The legal challenges in local food systems will be prominently featured at the upcoming 34th Annual Conference of the American Agricultural Law Association, the nation’s only professional organization serving the legal needs of...
by Elizabeth | Sep 27, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Biotechnology, Environmental Law, Pesticides, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted September 27, 2013 USDA will not investigate the detection of genetically modified material in a Washington state farmer’s non-GMO alfalfa crop, stating that this is a “commercial issue” and does not warrant any government action, according to a Reuters...
by Elizabeth | Sep 27, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biofuels, Carbon, Climate Change, Environmental Law, Renewable Energy
Posted September 27, 2013 In Rocky Mountain Farmers Union v. Corey, et al., No. 12-15135 (9th Cir. Sept. 18, 2013), a three judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). The Court reversed a District Court...
by Elizabeth | Sep 26, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 26, 2013 A controversial legislative rider, which allows farmers to keep growing a genetically modified (GM) crop while being challenged in court, will expire on September 30 and will not be part of the U.S. Senate’s Continuing Resolution (CR),...
by Elizabeth | Sep 26, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Law
Posted September 26, 2013 A proposed rule intended to clarify which waters and wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA) was sent to the White House for interagency review on Sept. 17, according to an EPA announcement. The Environmental Protection...
by Elizabeth | Sep 25, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 25, 2013 In Kroupa v. Nielsen, et al, No. 12-2843 (8th Cir. Sept. 25, 2013), a three judge panel from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion that will be of interest to anyone involved in 4-H and...
by Elizabeth | Sep 25, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biotechnology
Posted September 25, 2013 A controversial bill that would block local governments from regulating agriculture, including banning genetically modified (GM) crops, is included in a legislative package that will be considered in a special session of the Oregon...
by Elizabeth | Sep 25, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, International Trade
Posted September 25, 2013 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) public meetings on proposed rules to improve the safety of imported food under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) began last week in Washington D.C., according to a U.S. News article available...
by Elizabeth | Sep 24, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Law
Posted September 24, 2013 On Friday, a U.S. District Judge ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has six months to decide whether to set Clean Water Act (CWA) standards for nitrogen and phosphorus in all U.S. waterways or explain why they are not...
by Elizabeth | Sep 24, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 24, 2013 Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR) recently introduced H.R. 3105, the Aquaculture Risk Reduction Act, which provides an exemption for producers in cases of accidental inclusion of undocumented animals in shipments of fish across state...
by Elizabeth | Sep 23, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 23, 2013 On Wednesday, September 25 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST, the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Program will host a webinar, “Access to Land: The Leasing Option.” The webinar will cover the legal aspects of leasing land for...
by Elizabeth | Sep 23, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 23, 2013 U.S. business groups recently said both the House and Senate versions of the farm bill may violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules against trade-distorting subsidies, according to a Reuters article. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce,...
by Elizabeth | Sep 23, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 23, 2013 The Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB) has announced an initiative to reduce the amount of water withdrawn from the Delta alluvial aquifer for irrigation, according to a Delta Farm Press article, available here. The...
by Elizabeth | Sep 20, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 20, 2013 The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved the nutrition bill that would cut about $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), by tightening eligibility rules and ending state waivers, according to a...
by Elizabeth | Sep 20, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Welfare, Biosecurity, Food Safety
Posted September 20, 2013 The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report on the threats of antibiotic resistance, connecting the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals with antibiotic-resistant foodborne pathogens. The CDC...
