The National Agricultural Law Center recently added a new article on the Soybean Checkoff Program to its library of research publications.

On July 15, 2016, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issued a proposed rule that seeks to provide soybean producers in certain states the option of “redirecting” to the United Soybean Board the full, federally-required assessment of one-half of one percent of net market price of soybeans.  Redirection deprives a state’s Qualified State Soybean Board of funding it would have otherwise retained and expended in accordance with the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act (Soybean Act) and accompanying regulations- the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order (Soybean Order).

Harrison Pittman’s article, “Soybean Checkoff Dollars & USDA “Redirection”: Compatible with Federal Law?” discusses AMS’s existing policy of “redirection”, the AMS proposed rule, and how redirection appears to be incompatible with the plain language of the Soybean Act and Order. Download the article here.

Research publications are a vital part of the Center’s mission to conduct objective, timely, and non-partisan research into agricultural and food law issues and to provide that scholarship to the agricultural and food law communities.  An index with links to our library of research publications is available here.