agricultural regulation
Two House committee chairs call for dismissal of wetlands lawsuit
California farmer John Duarte, the poster boy for farm groups complaining of federal over-regulation of wetlands, has high-powered supporters in Congress who are appealing for the government to drop its long-running case against him. The Republican chairmen of the House Agriculture and Judiciary committees wrote Attorney General Jeff Sessions to argue that the case against Duarte is unfounded.
Trump seeks regulatory reform for agriculture
President Trump will sign an executive order today for a government-wide review of regulations, policies and laws "that hinder economic growth in agriculture," said White House agriculture adviser Ray Starling. Ag groups typically regard USDA as their advocate in the federal government and generally say their problems come from other agencies, EPA most prominently.
Aide to North Carolina senator becomes White House agriculture adviser
Ray Starling, who grew up on a farm in North Carolina and worked as chief of staff for Sen. Thom Tillis, will serve as White House adviser on agriculture, trade and food assistance, said the National Economic Council. The National Pork Producers Council, a farm group, called the appointment "a clear signal of (President Trump's) commitment to reverse unnecessary regulations inhibiting pork producers and all U.S. farmers."
Trump’s two-for-one plan to weed out regulations
Federal agencies are under orders from President Donald Trump, who campaigned against bureaucratic red tape and its burden on businesses, to identify at least two existing regulations for elimination every time they issue a new regulation. The USDA had no comment on which rules it might drop.
Forceful Trump to press regulatory relief first, say farm policy hands
The Trump administration will focus on regulatory relief in its early days in office, said two farm-policy hands, who pointed to EPA's Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule as a prime example of federal over-reach. Chuck Conner, of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, said President-elect Trump will be forceful in rolling back regulations, and Dale Moore, of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the regulatory burden saps farmers' bottom lines.
Uncertain outlook for food policy in Trump era, say experts
President-elect Donald Trump attacked over-regulation by the government during his campaign, so "big questions have arisen over how far he'll go," said Civil Eats, which spoke to food-policy activists about the outlook. With Republicans in control of Congress, the budgets of the EPA and the FDA could come under attack, but it would be very difficult to eliminate an agency like EPA, said food-safety advocates.
California’s draft rules on pesticide use near schools fall short, critics say
California’s newly released draft rules on pesticide use are designed to curtail the use of pesticides near schools and daycare centers, but critics say they don’t go far enough in reducing exposures to children. The draft rules released Thursday by the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) come more than two years after scientists with the Department of Public Health released a study showing that California growers applied more than half a million pounds of carcinogens, reproductive poisons and other hazardous pesticides within a quarter mile of public schools each year.
California set to bar pesticides near schools on class days
California growers would be barred from applying many agricultural pesticides within a quarter-mile of public schools and day-care centers during school days under a proposed regulation unveiled by the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. It would be the first statewide standard and would take effect in September 2017, says AgNet West.
Rogue GMO wheat found in Washington state; third U.S. discovery since April 2013
Genetically engineered wheat, developed by Monsanto but not approved for sale, was confirmed growing in the wild for the third time in a little more than three years, said the Agriculture Department, this time in a fallow field in Washington state.
EPA board clears way for phase-out of Bayer insecticide
An EPA appeals board that oversees pesticide regulation upheld cancellation of U.S. use of the insecticide flubendiamide, made by Bayer and sold under the brand name Belt, said Agri-Pulse.
Coalition opposes ‘right to farm’ amendment in Oklahoma
Former Oklahoma state attorney general Drew Edmonson is leading a newly formed coalition of groups in opposition to a right-to-farm amendment to the state constitution.
How an Iowa hog baron accrued power and built a CAFO empire that transformed his state
"Since Iowa Select Farms was founded in 1992, the state’s pig population has increased more than 50 percent — while the number of farms raising hogs has declined over 80 percent," as Charlie Mitchell and Austin Frerick explain in FERN's latest story, published with Vox. "In the last 30 years, 26,000 Iowa farms quit the long-standing tradition of raising pigs. As confinements replaced them, rural communities have continued to hollow out." <strong>(No paywall)</strong>