Washington, D.C. - The Organic Agriculture Research Act of 2018, a bipartisan bill that works to increase funding for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), was introduced recently by Senators Susan Collins, R-ME, and Bob Casey, D-PA. This bill, which acts as a Senate companion bill to the...
As the deadline draws near for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision on how to regulate homeopathic remedies, and an article in the mainstream media reignites the issue, homeopathic agencies and experts are offering guidance to those awaiting the decision. As we reported back in December, the FDA...
You have just one more day to voice your disapproval of the USDA's move to roll back animal welfare regulations. Deadline is Wednesday, Jan. 17 and the Organic Trade Association is making it easy. As Whole Foods Magazine reported last month, the Trump Administration proposed to withdraw final ruling on...
Washington, DC — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking projects aimed at improving organic production including feed-related initiatives. The program is designed to bolster research, extension programs and education. The $17.6 million in grants are funded through a competitive process by NIFA’s...
Chicago, IL - A federal lawsuit claims Walmart has deceived customers who buy its Organic Marketside brand eggs, according to Reuters. The suit, filed Monday, claims the mega retailer is selling organic eggs laid by hens raised in enclosed structures under package labels that said the birds had access to...
According to the Washington Post, a bill has been introduced that would double the budget for the USDA’s oversight of the organic industry to $24 million over the next 5 years. Rep. John J. Faso (R-NY) presented the legislation, which has 33 House co-sponsors, because of the growing confusion around...
Washington, D.C. — The Trump Administration is proposing to withdraw final ruling on regulations that would require organic egg factories to provide their hens with outdoor space to graze, NPR reports. The proposed Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP), which fall with the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,...
Washington, DC — The Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a federal lawsuit this week against the Trump Administration for its failure to comply with the 2016 federal law on the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are...
For the first time, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released, along with its Unified Agenda, an ‘Inactive Actions List’ of regulations being reviewed or considered. On the list includes the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) nutrition facts changes that apply to meat, poultry and...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – New legislation introduced by Congressman Dave Brat (R-VA) would make multivitamin dietary supplements an allowable purchase for the 8 million people receiving assistance through the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC). “Expanding WIC to include multivitamins would create an oasis for the 25...
