As April ends, staff at the National Agricultural Law Center continue to bring trusted research and information in agricultural and food law to stakeholders across the country. Outlined below are many of the new NALC resources from the month of April.

Webinars

Proposals to Change Slaughter and Processing Requirements in the United States: The processing of livestock is governed on a national level by the Federal Meat Inspection Act.  Similarly, the processing of poultry is governed by the Poultry Products Inspection Act. In those laws, USDA-FSIS is given primary authority for oversight of meat products that will be offered for sale. That authority, however, may be designated to a state agency in those states that chose to apply for such authority. This webinar, while providing an outline of the current regulatory structure, primarily focused on the federal and state policy proposals that would change the requirements, standards and oversight of slaughter and processing facilities. Find a recording of this webinar here.

Opportunities and Challenges Agriculture Faces in the Climate Debate: Almost every month, companies of various sizes across many industries announce new sustainability commitments and programs that farmers and ranchers can participate in. Advancements in technology and increased capital have expanded opportunities for farmers and ranchers to generate revenue via these emerging sustainability markets. But with so many options and potential partners, it may be difficult to get all the information you need to sign a contract. This webinar discussed how policy initiatives and collaboration through broad coalitions brought agriculture to this point, explain what agriculture ecosystem credit markets are and why they’re emerging so strongly now. We also explored the early market participants and when and where projects are taking place and discuss contract expectations. Andrew Walmsley and Shelby Swain Meyers, representatives from the American Farm Bureau Federation, were the speakers for this webinar. Find a recording of this webinar here.

Blog Posts

Outreach

  • Director Harrison Pittman testified before the Arkansas House Committee for Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development on April 5, 2021. Pittman’s role was to provide objective information about AR SB312.
  • Senior Staff Attorney Elizabeth Rumley spoke on a panel at the Animal Ag Alliance 2021 Virtual Summit. The panel discussed the future of agriculture under the new Biden Administration as well as state legislatures.
Share: