Latest News From Governmental Regulations

Waters of the U.S. rules have evolved many times in the past 50 years. EPA announced another round of changes on Tuesday, following a May Supreme Court ruling that required EPA to revise the definition.

“Our farmers and ranchers want to focus on producing America’s food supply, not on trying to become experts in procuring what was once routine insurance coverage,” said California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson.

Jim Jones has been selected to lead the Human Foods Program, a new initiative within the FDA that will encompass food safety, chemical safety, innovative food products and agtech. The news has received early praise.

There are signs that water is the new oil as water rights turn into water fights across the western U.S., says columnist John Phipps. He thinks it's a battle that could only heat up in the coming years.

The Farmland Security Act of 2023 seeks to further boost transparency in foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.

The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice’s proposed update to its merger-enforcement guidelines scrutinizes buyer power.

EPA has a deadline from the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals to offer a progress report on the Waters of the U.S. rule by Sept. 15.

Court Justice Samuel Alito said the EPA's interpretation of its powers went "too far."

In what advocates call a major win for the fresh produce industry, Canada’s House of Commons has passed Bill C-280, which aims to strengthen the financial security of fresh fruit and vegetable sellers.

Kentucky is the 27th state to put a wall up against the legislation. EPA countered Kentucky’s move, asking the court to make clear that the latest rule does not apply nationwide.

The National Grocers Association created a TV commercial saying the tactics of dominant food retailers are unfair and discriminatory, harming the ability of smaller, locally owned businesses to compete.

The National Council of Agricultural Employers said the new regulation would inject additional new wage rates into the program disconnected from agriculture to compensate some workers for routine on-farm chores.  

The FDA has proposed changes to update the rules on healthy food labeling, which can affect fruits and vegetables sold in bulk, cut, otherwise value-added and in juice form.

Andrew Kennedy, a former FDA traceability expert who helped develop FSMA 204, and Matt Regusci, co-founder of Azzule/PrimusGFS, will co-lead New Era Partners.

If you ask U.S. specialty crop producers to identify threats to accessing safe and effective crop protection tools, few would point to the Endangered Species Act — but they should, says Minor Crop Farmer Alliance.

Profitability and efficiency are big drivers for growers evaluating conservation-based farming practices. Each farmer who spoke at the Trust In Food Symposium said they have adopted at least one such practice, to date.

Reps. Dusty Johnson and Jim Costa on Tuesday introduced the Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking (SHIP IT) Act to expand the trucking workforce and offer flexibility in times of need.

Farm Bureau's Duvall says the rule puts farmers and ranchers in a position where they will have to hire lawyers and consultants to establish the boundaries of farming.

If the nation’s debt hits $31.4 trillion—it’s on track to do so by this Thurs.—the Treasury will need to take “extraordinary measures” to help pay the government's operations and ward off a historic default.

The additional payments will be equal to 15% of the producer’s previous CFAP 2 payments.

Farm Bureau hosted Secretary Vilsack at its annual convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he announced the details of ERP Phase 2 and PARP, U.S.-made fertilizer and new meat and poultry processing facility plans.

The 2023 farm bill will have tremendous influence on your farm. It will affect what U.S. agriculture does, and how we’ll feed the world, over the next five years.

The agreement will allow lawmakers to spend the coming week hashing out specific spending levels for each federal agency as well as what legislative items they will attach to the bill, likely including ag aid.

A groundbreaking report from the Regan-Udall Foundation has evaluated the current FDA Human Foods Program and has shared recommendations to reform the agency to ensure food safety.

IFPA has reflected on an eventful 2022 and has shared highlights and milestones from its first year as an organization.

According to Biden’s economic advisors, as many as 765,000 Americans — many union workers themselves — would have been put out of work in the first two weeks of shutdowns.

USDA announced on Tuesday a $24 million investment to “teach and train” beginning farmers and ranchers through NIFA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).

Global fair-trade non-profit has unveiled virtual banana stunt at COP27 to highlight the risks climate change poses on the food system.

The National Organic Program published integrity and enforcement dashboard for 2022 that outlines trends and enforcement statistics.

Testimony heard by the Department of Labor (DOL) through “tens of thousands” of comments, as well as a roundtable on Thursday, led the DOL to adopt the proposed H-2A changes considered in 2019. 

FMI’s chief public policy officer shares insight on how the food industry will help the White House achieve goals to end hunger and increase access to healthy food.

Following Gov. Newsom’s signing of AB 2183 into law, Western Growers issued a statement saying the legislation "will unleash a relentless campaign of union pressure and harassment targeting California farmworkers."

A pandemic-era program that provided free breakfast and lunch to all schoolchildren expired this year. Republicans voted against efforts to include free school meals this week. Biden's plan reinstates the program.

Retailer Hy-Vee commits to meal delivery and nutrition education for food insecure.

"If you were not here, you missed being part of history this week," said IFPA’s Chief Public Policy Officer Robert Guenther of The Washington Conference.

Have the Pacific Coast port bottleneck issues been resolved, or moved somewhere else? The East Coast may now be carrying the burden.

A rail strike is looming despite the majority of unions reaching tentative agreement with the rail companies, but the unions not on board are essential to the operation of the nation’s rail system. 

“Friend shoring means that, rather than just bringing everything [manufacturing] back to the U.S., which is feasible, let’s make sure our supply chains are with countries that are friendly to us,” Heidelberg says.

More than 16% of new cars sold in California in 2022 were zero-emissions vehicles, the state said, up from 12.41% in 2021 and 7.78% in 2020.

The reconciliation bill is heading to the House on Friday with many provisions on ag. Here's what producers need to know about the Inflation Reduction Act.

Is private land a federal playground? The government claims a phenomenally powerful right—access and surveillance on every inch of farmland, hunting ground, and pasture in the U.S., without warrant or probable cause.

A foreign leader addressing a joint session of Congress this week was a rarity. Not to be outdone, the partisan and often cantankerous members of the U.S. Senate passed legislation unanimously on a voice vote!

"This is my plea, from a humble farmer in Ukraine to the people of the world: Please ask your governments to stop this reckless war, launched by that cruel and power-hungry authoritarian, Vladimir Putin."

An oil price of $120 a ton could send the global economy into a major recession and fan inflation in the U.S., which Jim Wiesemeyer says is already in double digits for rural Americans.

The Biden Administration’s policies are expected to impact roughly 100 million working Americans. Here’s what you need to know.

President Biden is tackling anti-competitive issues in the U.S. with a new Executive Order. Signed Friday at the White House, the order could have a sweeping impact on agriculture.

Potato, Apple Industries Want Their Shot with CFAP Payments Meanwhile, there are some ag sectors that feel they should get a shot at these CFAP payments since their industries suffered losses due to coronavirus too.

The hours of service exemption for truck drivers delivering fresh produce and other food during the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended through May 15.

Import requirements for Chinese fragrant pears have been relaxed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Congress and the Trump administration are sending $2 trillion in cash to help a U.S. economy that has been staggered by the coronavirus COVID-19 since mid-March, and the produce industry is anxious to see their share.