Regulations
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Understanding EPA’s new rules protecting farmworkers from pesticide exposure
Changes controversially expand the boundaries for “application exclusion zones” to include areas outside the farm.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 15, 2024 -
Moldy motel rooms, unlicensed drivers: Farm banned from H-2A program after labor violations
Harvest Plus LLC is paying more than $250,000 in fines after the Department of Labor said the company illegally withheld wages and transported temporary farmworkers in “dilapidated” vehicles.
By Caroline Colvin • Oct. 11, 2024 -
Trendline
Top 5 stories from Agriculture Dive
Declining farm income and other production challenges have pushed farmers to rethink their operations and adopt new technology in a bid to diversify potential revenue streams.
By Agriculture Dive staff -
USDA prepared to issue subpoenas in beef price-gouging investigation
The department is exploring the impact of food system consolidation as it looks to "more vigorously enforce" competition rules in the meat and grocery industries.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 10, 2024 -
Vegetable grower settles claim that HR staff required harassment victim to obtain restraining order
A female employee at Pero Family Farms Food Company repeatedly attempted to report a male co-worker’s sexual harassment and physical threats, federal investigators alleged.
By Ryan Golden • Oct. 9, 2024 -
Court denies petition for stronger EPA regulation of large livestock farms
A lawsuit brought by Food & Water Watch would have required farmers to have Clean Water Act discharge permits for their operations.
By Nathan Owens • Oct. 8, 2024 -
One of California’s major agricultural regions could ban ‘factory farming’
Residents in Sonoma County are divided on Measure J, which farmers say could yield unintended economic consequences if passed.
By Nathan Owens • Oct. 4, 2024 -
Deep Dive
Election 2024: Where Trump and Harris stand on agriculture
Higher food prices, trade relations with China and other farm issues are becoming more central to party platforms.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 3, 2024 -
Former poultry growers sue Cooks Venture execs for operating ‘defacto ponzi scheme’
The failed startup, which positioned itself as a "next-generation food company," left farmers to pick up the pieces after the company shuttered last November, a lawsuit alleges.
By Nathan Owens • Oct. 2, 2024 -
What to know about the FDA’s reorganization
The new structure could mean more thorough inspections for food giants, according to experts.
By Elizabeth Flood • Oct. 2, 2024 -
Opinion
We need a Farm Bill for all farmers – not the few. Here’s how we get there.
The House’s proposed bill would only benefit wealthy farms while adding to the deficit and cutting food assistance, experts with the Environmental Working Group argue.
By Anne Schechinger and Jared Hayes • Oct. 2, 2024 -
Farm bill expires again. Here’s what it means for farmers.
The delay upends some USDA farm conservation and trade promotion programs while setting up costlier disruptions beginning at the year’s end.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 1, 2024 -
East Coast and Gulf ports shut down as dockworkers strike
The USDA does not expect “significant changes to food prices or availability in the near term” due to the work stoppage, though exporters have warned of shipment delays and higher costs.
By Alejandra Carranza • Oct. 1, 2024 -
Democrats propose paying livestock producers to transition away from ‘factory farming’
The plan is a gambit to ensure Inflation Reduction Act funding goes to climate-smart agriculture practices that would have the biggest environmental impact.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 27, 2024 -
Trump threatens Deere with 200% tariffs if it shifts manufacturing to Mexico
The tractor giant's plan to move some production south of the border is tied up in election politics as the economy becomes more central to campaign messaging.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 25, 2024 -
Colombia ends ban on US beef imports
The South American country was the only nation to restrict trade in response to the bird flu outbreak in dairy cows.
By Nathan Owens • Sept. 25, 2024 -
Deep Dive
East and Gulf coast port strikes: A shipper’s guide
A potential dockworker strike starting Oct. 1 would upend meat and grain trade and bring new supply chain slowdowns. Here’s how to prepare.
By Alejandra Carranza , Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 24, 2024 -
USDA creates network to better serve financially distressed farmers
The department is collaborating with farm advocates and land-grant institutions to provide agricultural producers with custom-tailored assistance to regain their financial footing.
By Nathan Owens • Sept. 24, 2024 -
Ag employer group sues to block rule strengthening H-2A worker protections
The rule, which bars employers from retaliating against organizing efforts among temporary farmworkers, has already been overturned in 17 states.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 24, 2024 -
Tyson sued over ‘climate smart’ beef and other ‘greenwashing’ claims
The meat company’s sustainability commitments are deceiving consumers, according to the Environmental Working Group.
By Nathan Owens • Sept. 20, 2024 -
Fed cuts interest rates for first time since 2020. What does it mean for ag?
Lower rates could provide farms with some financial relief and potentially boost prospects for U.S. exports.
By Jim Tyson , Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 20, 2024 -
Agriculture set to take center stage at COP29
The host country for the upcoming U.N. climate summit released a list of priorities that emphasizes methane reduction over a fossil fuel phaseout.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 19, 2024 -
Confusion persists with food traceability rule as compliance date nears
From reporting metrics to how the FDA investigation process works, major questions loom for industries impacted by the rule, a new report found.
By Catherine Douglas Moran • Sept. 19, 2024 -
Bayer and other seed giants defeat farmer price-fixing lawsuit
A judge dismissed claims that agricultural chemical companies such as Syngenta and Corteva purposefully avoided e-commerce sites as a tactic to skirt price competition.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 18, 2024 -
EPA says it has no obligation to regulate PFAS in biosolid fertilizers
The agency filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Texas farmers who allege they’ve been harmed by contamination from “forever chemicals” after spreading sewage sludge on agricultural land.
By Jacob Wallace • Sept. 18, 2024 -
EPA issues violation notice to ADM over carbon sequestration permit
A monitoring well designed to keep track of whether captured carbon is flowing to the right place had corroded, though has since been plugged.
By Lamar Johnson • Sept. 16, 2024