The European Court of Justice ruled that member state governments cannot ban the cultivation of genetically engineered crops in the absence of scientific evidence that they are a human health risk. American Soybean Association President Ron Moore said the ruling is a comforting one from a scientific standpoint. “The Court’s decision reverses what the EU calls the ‘precautionary principle,’ their …
Sunset Proposal in NAFTA 2.0
As the next round of negotiations regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement approach, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is considering submitting a “sunset” proposal. That’s a provision that would automatically cancel the deal five years after approval if the three countries don’t agree to renew it. The USTR began circulating the idea among federal agencies last week …
Putnam Says Agriculture Industry Hammered by Irma
Parts of Florida’s agriculture industry are in “tatters” as rural communities throughout the state continue to face severe conditions after Hurricane Irma, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Thursday. Putnam said the storm hammered citrus, vegetable and sugarcane growers, though he didn’t put a cost estimate on the damage. And as many farmers and residents of Florida’s rural counties wait for …
Putnam on Hurricane Irma’s Impact to Florida Citrus
I took an aerial tour to survey areas impacted by Hurricane Irma, including citrus groves in Central and Southwest Florida. It’s still too early to know the full extent of the damage to Florida citrus. But after touring groves on foot and by air, it’s clear that our signature crop has suffered serious and devastating losses from Hurricane Irma. But …
Urban Agriculture Bill Introduced in U.S. House
House Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Ohio has introduced an urban agriculture bill. Kaptur’s Urban Agriculture Production Act is described as a bipartisan bill that would bolster nutritional programs and farmers’ markets and help create the next generation of local, urban farmers and food producers. In a news release, Kaptur says “the federal government needs to step up and improve access …
OTA Files Lawsuit Against USDA Over Organic Livestock Standards
The Organic Trade Association announced a lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture over its failure to advance new organic livestock standards. The suit alleges USDA violated the Organic Foods Production Act, and unlawfully delayed the effective date of the final livestock standards. The trade association further contends that the Trump Administration’s regulatory freeze order issued to federal agencies in January …
Censky, McKinney, Nomination Hearing Scheduled
The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on nominees to the Department of Agriculture next week. Committee leaders, Chairman Pat Roberts, and ranking minority member Debbie Stabenow announced plans to hold the hearing for Ted McKinney and Stephen Censky Tuesday, September 19th. Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association, was nominated by President Trump to serve as Deputy Secretary …
Roberts Wants Farm Bill to Target SNAP Fraud
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts has indicated he wants to use the farm bill as a way to target fraud in the food stamp program. Bloomberg makes the interpretation from a statement by Roberts addressing quality control problems within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which the Chairman said: “any problems will need to be given a hard look” …
Florida Farm Bureau: Farm Families Slowly Recovering
The resilience of Florida’s farmers and ranchers is on full display in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. They are working to restore food and fiber production for this state and the nation, despite the widespread destruction of crops, buildings, fencing, and other property lost to wind and water damage. Like many other Floridians, farm families are contending with significant failures …
NRCS Programs Help with Hurricane Irma Recovery Efforts
For those affected by Hurricane Irma, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has programs that provide assistance in the wake of disasters. For declared natural disasters that lead to imminent threats to life and property, NRCS can assist local government sponsors with the cost of implementing recovery efforts like debris removal and streambank stabilization to address natural resource concerns and …