Disaster Assistance Programs
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—Week Ending November 25, 2022
Biotechnology: USDA Secretary Releases Statement on U.S.-Mexico Corn Trade After Meeting with Mexican President 🌾
On November 28, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) published a statement from Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding a meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador addressing his December 2020 decree, which called for the phased-out Mexican use of both glyphosate and genetically modified (GE) corn for human consumption by January 31, 2024. Mexican corn production is approximately 60% of its domestic consumption; corn is Mexico’s top imported U.S. agricultural commodity, and Mexico is the second […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review – Week Ending September 10, 2021
Antitrust: White House Announces Intent to Address Effects on Consumers, Farmers and Ranchers of Meat Processing Industry Consolidation 🌾
On September 8, 2021, The White House published a policy outline on its official website titled “Addressing Concentration in the Meat-Processing Industry to Lower Food Prices for American Families” and conducted a Press Briefing with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese in support. According to the document and Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the administration will address the following: (a) a “corporate consolidation problem with meat-processing giants;” (b) measures to reduce consumer prices and increase farmer and rancher […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—March 12, 2020
Food Safety: U.S. Customs Agricultural Inspection Workforce Expanded
On March 3, 2020, President Trump signed into law Senate Bill 2107, now designated as Public Law No. 116-122, titled “Protecting America’s Food and Agriculture Act of 2019.” This legislation authorizes the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to annually hire up to two-hundred forty (240) and two-hundred (200) new CBP Agriculture Specialists and CBP Agriculture Technicians respectively. The gross number of each employee type to be achieved and maintained is determined by an annual calculation of CBP’s need. The law also provides an escalating yearly appropriation for federal fiscal years 2020 […]
