AGRICULTURE

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Senate Released Bipartisan Draft of Farm Bill

Posted on June 13, 2018

As previously reported on this blog, in March 2018, House Agricultural Committee Chairman Michael Conway delayed the release of the draft law renewing farm and nutrition programs due to

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Food Policy Summary

Posted on April 13, 2018

In the last week there have been a number of interesting developments in food policy. Each is in early development, but worthy of a brief note.
President Trump, in a

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Bipartisan Senate Bill to Increase Ag Export Funding Praised by Farmers

Posted on September 26, 2017

Legislation that would increase funding for two U.S. Department of Agriculture export promotion programs was introduced in the U.S. Senate last week. Sponsored by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Joni Ernst

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Cattle Producers Sue USDA to Reinstate COOL

Posted on June 28, 2017

As previously covered on this blog, in 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented country of origin labeling (COOL) rules, requiring meat labels to indicate where animals

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USDA Creates Trade Undersecretary Post

Posted on May 18, 2017

As background, Section 3208 of the Agricultural Act of 2014, Pub. L. 113-70 (7 USC §6935) required the Secretary of Agriculture to propose a reorganization of international trade functions for

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Sonny Perdue Becomes 31st U.S. Agriculture Secretary

Posted on April 25, 2017

On April 24, the U.S. Senate confirmed former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture by a vote of 87 to 11 and on April 25, 2017 he became

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Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect American Agricultural Interests in Foreign Acquisitions

Posted on March 24, 2017

By way of background, foreign governments have recently made substantial investments in U.S. agriculture. Most notably, Smithfield’s sale to Chinese firm Shuangui, Syngenta’s acquisition by Chinese-government owned group ChemChina

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Oregon Contemplates GMO Ban

Posted on February 13, 2017

While much attention in the area of genetically modified organism (GMO) legislation has previously focused on labeling laws such as Vermont’s labeling law and, more recently, the federal GMO bill

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Will COOL Make a Come Back?

Posted on December 1, 2016

As previously covered on this blog, mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) rules for beef products have long been the subject of controversy and challenge, culminating in a World

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GAP Analysis

Posted on April 6, 2016

USDA launches program to facilitate GAP certification for small and mid-sized entities in the produce sector.

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) are a voluntary set of recommendations originally developed by the

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