agriculture

Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Emissions Lower

Dan American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), Environment, Greenhouse Gas, This Land of Ours, USDA-EPA

Agriculture again reduces its greenhouse gas emissions. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. New data released this month from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows agriculture decreased its greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. The EPA recently released the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Economist Danny Munch explains the results. …

epa

EPA Announces New Ag and Rural Affairs Office

Dan Agri-Business, Environment, USDA-EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is establishing a new office to expand engagement opportunities with agricultural and rural communities. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the first-ever EPA Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs during his remarks at Commodity Classic in Houston, Texas, on Friday. Commodity Classic is the largest farmer-led annual convention in the country and Regan is …

ams

USDA Releases 2022 Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary

Dan Pest/Pest Control, Specialty Crops, USDA, USDA-AMS, USDA-EPA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the 2022 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary, which shows that over 99% of the samples tested had pesticide residues below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The tests were conducted on 10,665 samples from 23 commodities including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, dairy, nuts and grains.   The PDP …

Animal Agriculture

Nominations Open for Animal Agriculture Water Quality Committee

Dan Beef, Bison, Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Irrigation, Livestock, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep-Goats, USDA-EPA, Water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Federal Register Notice on November 16 establishing the Animal Agriculture Water Quality Subcommittee. It’s under the umbrella of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee. Nominations are open for members who want to serve on the subcommittee. The primary subcommittee goal will be to develop recommendations that will inform the Agency’s …

nppc

Concerns Raised Over EPA’s Proposed Wastewater Regulation

Dan Beef, Cattle, Environment, Livestock, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Pork, Poultry, USDA-EPA, Water

Many in the livestock industry are very concerned about a proposed wastewater regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning wastewater from meat and poultry processing facilities. It is expected to require meatpackers and processors to install millions of dollars of upgrades to their wastewater management systems. So, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Chief Legal Strategist, Michael Formica, along with representatives from the U.S. Poultry …

gene editing

New EPA Regulations on Gene Editing in Specialty Crops

Dan Agri-Business, Specialty Crops, USDA-EPA

by Sabrina Halvorson Fruit and vegetable plant breeders who use gene editing are now facing more regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA recently increased oversight of some gene-edited crops and added to the workload and waiting time for those in the produce industry. Dr. Margaret Worthington is an Associate Professor of Horticulture at the University of Arkansas …

learn

Learn About GMOs with the FDA

Dan Education, Genetically Modified, This Land of Ours, USDA, USDA-EPA, USDA-FDA

There’s a new resource to help consumers learn more about GMOs. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Feed Your Mind is an Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative that was first launched in March 2020 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency …

electric

EPA to Recommend Delaying Electric Vehicles Biofuel Program

Dan Agri-Business, Biofuels/Energy, This Land of Ours, USDA-EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends a delay in an electric vehicle program. That’s coming up on this land of ours. The Environmental Protection Agency will recommend delaying a program that would allow electric vehicle manufacturers to access tradable credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Two sources told Reuters that the White House will review the EPA’s final rule. The …

Prop 12

NPPC Leads Effort to Overturn EPA’s New Proposal on Rodenticides

Dan Environment, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Pork, USDA-EPA

EPA announced a proposal to overturn decades-long policies regulating farmers’ and ranchers’ use of rodenticides. The proposed changes would enhance current restrictions, create new certifications and trainings, add more requirements to labels, reclassify some products to restricted use pesticides and, if not the most important aspect, presents a major biosecurity risk to farms. A challenging, time-consuming and expensive proposal for …

agricultural

EPA Proposes Changes to Agricultural Worker Protection Standard

Dan Agri-Business, Environment, Pest/Pest Control, USDA-EPA

There could soon be changes to certain agricultural pesticide use rules, as the Biden administration seeks to change some adjustments made in 2020. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule that would change the pesticide Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ) requirements under the 2015 Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS).   In 2015, EPA made significant changes to the …