President-elect Trump has selected Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President, Zippy Duvall, responded positively to the announcement that the Oklahoma Attorney General who challenged the California caged hen law, investigated the Humane Society of the United States, and sued the EPA on more than one occasion, will now be in a … Read More
Reaction to Election and Policy Priorities for NCGA
Much of the conversation during NAFB’s Trade Talksurrounded the industry’s response to the election of Donald Trump, and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Wesley Spurlock was on hand to discuss what this new administration will means for NCGA and how the organization intends to move forward into the future. “It is great to have the election behind us, … Read More
Ag Groups Challenge Waters of the US Rule
The American Farm Bureau Federation and many other organizations and businesses have asked a federal court to overrule the EPA and Army Corps of Engineer’s “Waters of the United States”. The submitted brief outlines many allegations in detail and describes a year’s worth of litigation involving the rule’s overreach. The coalition’s brief explains how EPA flouted important procedural safeguards designed … Read More
FMC Helps #CAPCA16 Fight Fear
How will the agriculture industry grow an increasing amount of safe, healthy food in an environment of more stringent regulations coupled with less water? This question was answered by John Kasper, commercial business unit director for FMC Corporation, during the opening session of the 42nd annual California Association of Pest Control Advisers. The sold-out event focused on feeding a nation … Read More
Coalition Urges EPA to Remove Roadblocks
Today agriculture groups have come together as the Biogenic CO2 Coalition to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to stop blocking the development of emerging bioeconomy. The Biogenic CO2 Coalition is a working group of leading trade associations and companies that support American farmers and the national “bioeconomy” that a new USDA economic analysis estimates to be $393 billion, provides 4.2 million … Read More
EPA Atrazine Deadline Looms Large
The deadline for the EPA Atrazine comment period is fast approaching. For growers who haven’t done it yet, groups like the National Corn Grower Association and the Agriculture Retailers Association are encouraging farmers to express support for atrazine before October 5, 2016. To make the process easy, both the NCGA website and the ARA website offer help sending an e-mail. “Atrazine is a safe and effective crop management … Read More
Ag Industry Meets with EPA On Pests and Weeds
Last week the EPA met with members of the agriculture industry to discuss the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and its impact on the environment. The EPA is responsible for regulating the distribution, sale and use of pesticides under FIFRA. The organization will not allow the distribution or sale of a pesticide until it verifies that its use … Read More
New Report: Global Progress on Food Loss, Waste
A newly released report has assessed the world’s progress toward Target 12.3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which has called on all nations to halve food waste and reduce food loss by 2030. The report recommends nations, cities and businesses in the food supply chain move quickly to set reduction targets, measure progress and take action to … Read More
Senators Release Statement on Clean Water Act
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has released a report that outlines the gross overreach of the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers in enforcing the Clean Water Act. The report describes how these groups have expanded the interpretation of their authority to regulate ‘waters of the U.S.’ “The case studies presented … Read More
Syngenta Settles with EPA
Syngenta Crop Protection has reached a settlement agreement with the EPA for alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The agreement states that Syngenta will pay $766,508 in civil penalties and spend $436,990 on a Supplemental Environmental Project. “The repackaging, sale and distribution of unregistered and misbranded pesticides is illegal and puts people and the environment at … Read More