USDA
USDA delays putting organic livestock and poultry rules into action
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture is — for the second time — delaying the implementation of organic rules for the treatment and living conditions of poultry and livestock.
Government
Democratic senators call for insider trading investigation into presidential adviser Carl Icahn’s renewable fuel credits investment
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A group of eight Democratic senators on Tuesday called upon three federal departments to investigate whether billionaire investor — and adviser to President Donald Trump — Carl Icahn violated insider trading laws for his activity in the renewable fuel credits market.
Health
Salmonella, campylobacter top foodborne illnesses in 2016
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Salmonella and campylobacter caused the most reported bacterial foodborne illnesses in 2016, preliminary data recently released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s FoodNet program has found.
Government
Newly confirmed Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue joins ‘farmers roundtable’ discussion at White House as Trump issues executive order
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a new executive order targeting economic development in rural America.
Health
Environmental groups sue EPA, renew calls for ban on pesticide linked to neurological disorders
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Two environmental groups filed a complaint against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday for its controversial decision to not ban a pesticide linked to neurological, developmental and autoimmune disorders.
Health
Nonpartisan watchdog finds ‘gaps’ in oversight of antibiotics in agriculture
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The federal government has taken steps aimed at reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a serious health threat that sickens an estimated 2 million people in the United States each year. But nobody knows if those steps — many focused on monitoring the antibiotics given to cattle, hogs and chickens raised for food — are working.
Labor
Report: Hundreds of farmworkers exploited, abused in U.S.
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Farmworkers laboring inside the United States are at risk for becoming victims of human trafficking thanks to a largely complex and opaque recruiting process, a new report has revealed.
Government
Business ties made public for Trump’s USDA pick Sonny Perdue
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The Office of Government Ethics released on Sunday disclosure documents filed by President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture, former governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue.
Environment
State officials call on Pruitt to rein in EPA
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More than a dozen state attorneys general and one governor have asked recently confirmed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to scale back on federal involvement in favor of more state control.
GMOs
As Big Ag moves forward with next-generation food modification, federal regulators push to keep up
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Federal officials are seeking public comment on proposed regulations to better oversee next-generation food modification. Meanwhile, the St. Louis-based seed giant Monsanto is making strides with gene-editing tools.