A U.S. Senate committee has stopped what many see as an overreach by the federal government on pesticide use. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today passed S. 1500, the Sensible Environmental Protection Act of 2015, a bipartisan measure that amends the Clean Water Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to clarify Congressional intent … Read More
Environmental Legal Issues in Precision Ag Tech
Emerging legal issues impacting precision agriculture was the topic of one of the breakout sessions during the 2015 InfoAg Conference. Bob Wilkinson, environmental attorney for Husch Blackwell’s food and agribusiness business unit in St. Louis, sat down with me to share more about his work. This unit has about 70 lawyers who focus on this industry and recently they have … Read More
Pope Francis’ Encyclical Looks at Ag & Technology
Addressing all persons living on the planet, Pope Francis’ LAUDATO SI on Care for Our Common Home, calls on mankind to address climate change and heal earth. Throughout the encyclical he looks at human’s interactions with earth, one of which has caused climate change. He writes that our lifestyles of a “throw-away” society – consumption and waste – must change or humans will … Read More
Water and Food Topic of Toledo Food Dialogues
The Ag industry had a welcome opportunity to discuss water quality issues and research this morning during the Food Dialogues: Toledo event that featured two panel discussions. The first panel, “Lessons from Toledo Water Crisis,” was moderated by Gail Hogan and featured Sandy Bihn, president, Toledo Lighthouse Society and executive director, Lake Erie Waterkeeper Inc.; Chuck Campbell, acting commissioner of … Read More
Congress Action Pending on Final WOTUS Rule
EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers may have released its final Waters of the U.S. rule this week, but Congress is still intends to try and have the final word on the regulation. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) calls the final rule “bad for rural America” and brought up charges that EPA influenced the comment process through … Read More
California Farmer Honored for Blackbird Protection
A dairy farmer from Tipton, California was recognized for his efforts to protect the Tricolored Blackbird in his state. Frank Mendonsa is the President of Western United Dairymen and the owner of the silage fields that became a temporary nesting grounds for the emergency-listed birds. Mendonsa delayed his harvest to allow the birds to raise their young. “When the … Read More
Cotton LEADS Attracts New Partners
Since 2013 the Cotton LEADS program has partnered with more than 300 companies and is now announcing the addition of several new business. Among others, HanesBrands, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Kohl’s®; and Life Is Good® have joined the partnership. The Cotton LEADS™ program was launched to illustrate, at a national level, the responsible production practices of cotton growers in Australia and the United … Read More
2014 Water for Food Report Released
Proceedings from the 2014 Water For Food Global Conference are now available for viewing. This annual conference was hosted last October in Seattle, WA by the Water for Food Institute and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The summary report provides a synopsis of the speakers and presentations relating to the theme: “Harnessing the Data Revolution: Ensuring Water and Food … Read More
Senate Bill Calls for WOTUS Re-do
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill Thursday that calls on EPA to develop a new “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) proposal. The senators, including John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), jointly introduced the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, directing EPA and the U.S. … Read More
Farm Bureau Endorses Bill to Sink WOTUS Rule
The American Farm Bureau Federation asked Congress to pass legislation ordering the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the controversial “Waters of the United States” proposal. In a letter copied to all members of Congress, AFBF President Bob Stallman wrote that the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 represents an opportunity for Congress to … Read More