OFW Law’s John Dillard is a frequent contributor to Farm Journal, the premiere U.S. farm magazine. His latest contribution covers African Swine Fever. African swine fever (ASF) is a nasty bug and it’s getting closer to the U.S. The highly contagious viral infection doesn’t infect humans, but it is 100% fatal to hogs. Countries where […]
The Potential Time Bomb of African Swine Fever Read More »
Federal Contractors are being given additional time and flexibility to address the vaccination mandate – Employees must be fully vaccinated by January 18, 2022. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Contracting Officers Have Enormous Discretion To Add Vaccine Mandate Clause to Product Contracts.
UPDATE: Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate Read More »
Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) have introduced legislation calling for a second White House Conference on Nutrition. They are correct; it is time. The first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health was conducted by President Richard Nixon in 1969. President Nixon called it a “moral imperative.” He continued: “This nation
Opinion: Needed: A Second White House Nutrition Conference by Marshall Matz Read More »
OFW’s Food & Agriculture team regularly monitors announcements and policy issuances from FDA, USDA, and other agencies to keep our clients apprised of regulatory developments that may impact their business. Here are a few of the developments from October that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
October Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
Harrison Pittman of the National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) will be hosting a webinar discussing laws pertaining to the foreign ownership of agricultural land tomorrow (Oct. 20) at Noon (Eastern). The webinar will discuss federal and state laws pertaining to foreign ownership of agricultural land, such as the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA), as
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) announced today the introduction of the “Fostering Overseas Rule of Law and Environmentally Sound Trade Act of 2021” (“FOREST Act”). The text of the FOREST Act is available here. The FOREST Act addresses the environmental and human consequences of illegal deforestation. The addition to the Tariff Act
The beginning of the new federal fiscal year on October 1 brought welcome news to 45 million SNAP beneficiaries across the country and to more than 250,000 grocery stores, convenience stores, and other retailers authorized to redeem SNAP benefits. On October 1, 2021, average SNAP benefits increased by $35.24 per person, per month. USDA’s Food
Good News for SNAP Retailers: FNS Increases SNAP Benefits for Fiscal Year 2022 Read More »
OFW’s Food & Agriculture team regularly monitors announcements and policy issuances from FDA, USDA, and other agencies to keep our clients apprised of regulatory developments that may impact their business. Here are a few of the developments from September that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
September Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap by Kyla Kaplan Read More »
OFW is pleased to announce that Kyla Kaplan has joined the firm as an associate attorney. While Ms. Kaplan will be heavily focused on regulatory matters for our FDA- and USDA-regulated food clients, she will also be working on a variety of agriculture, medical products and government relations issues. Ms. Kaplan brings to OFW
OFW Welcomes Kyla Kaplan to FDA and USDA Practice Groups Read More »
The United States is home to 21,000 large-scale livestock farms or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. According to an appeals court opinion handed down Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco once again ruled for the environmentalists against these farms. The case is no. 20-71554 and was brought by Food
Commentary: Another court rules against large-scale livestock farms Read More »
Next month, The Food Institute kicks off its 3-day virtual training seminar on Food Labeling and Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC will be co-hosting the event. Each day has its own unique theme. On day one, attendees may expect to first learn the basics of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) and the U.S.
OFW Law to co-host the 2021 Food Labeling Summit with the Food Institute next month Read More »
The African Green Revolution Summit concluded and served as an introduction for the UN Food Systems Summit to be held at the UN in New York on September 23. Dr. Agnes Kalibata hosted the African Forum and will also Chair the UN Summit. The goal of the UN Summit is to drive an agenda that will
African Agriculture Forum Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. Monday this week was Labor Day. Thank you to the hard-working men and women that carry the load of our great nation into a positive productive future. It has not been easy. Parts of Louisiana and the Northeast U.S. were hit by Ida’s destructive wind and rain.
John Block Reports: Labor Day Read More »
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has recently updated several of its guidance documents addressing the control of pathogens in beef and poultry operations. These guidelines provide best practices for establishments on managing pathogens during pre-harvest, slaughter, chilling, storage, and processing. FSIS’ guidance is focused on assisting small and very
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. Last week President Biden signed a broad Executive Order designed to ensure that we have more competitive markets. We have too many huge corporations. They keep buying up their competitors and just get bigger. Smaller companies compete at a disadvantage. Biden says, “Capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism.
John Block Reports: Executive Orders Read More »
On July 1st, the Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 to publish the final Made in USA Labeling Rule in the Federal Register. The rule is consistent with – and essentially codifies – its prior 1997 Enforcement Policy Statement on U.S. Origin Claims, and provides the agency with enforcement tools to combat fraudulent claims. The rule
FTC to Issue Final Rule to Combat “Made in USA” Fraud Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. It could change tomorrow, but at this moment nothing is getting done in this town. There are talks going on and ideas being evaluated. President Biden met with the Group of Seven in Europe and the NATO nations agreed to join together and challenge China’s behavior on
John Block Reports: Issues of Today Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. Two weeks ago, Colonial Pipeline was shut down. On the East Coast we lost 45% of our gas and oil. Cars and trucks without fuel. Ransomware thieves were given $4.4 million to turn the oil faucet back on. I said in my program 2 weeks ago –
John Block Reports: Ransomware Read More »
One of the major complaints of smaller meat and poultry establishments is the cost of USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) overtime and holiday inspection services. Meat and poultry establishments that are subject to mandatory inspection receive FSIS inspection services free of charge for each 8-hour shift the plant normally operates. Many plants only
USDA to Provide Overtime Fee Relief to Small and Very-Small Establishments Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. President Biden last Friday released a $6 trillion budget plan for our next fiscal year beginning October 1, 2021. The Administration has called it a “bold and responsible budget.” I conclude that it is “bold”, but the debt level that is projected will continue to grow every
John Block Reports: Budget Read More »
Share on linkedin By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. Politicians here in DC are always looking for someone to blame for all the problems that we face. China is at the top of that list. Congress is writing a powerful anti-China package of bills. There is no question about it. China has been
John Block Reports: Trade Read More »
For many years in the Senate, Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) teamed up with Senator George McGovern (D-SD) to create a legacy of bipartisan leadership on nutrition. Working together in the 1970s, they completely reformed the Food Stamp Program (now SNAP); established the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations; with Senator Humphrey, created the Women’s Infants
Bob Dole and George McGovern: A Nutrition Legacy that Continues Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. I have not been here at the farm in Illinois since last September when we started harvest. The global pandemic has shut a lot of us in, but I have my vaccine shots now and I feel a lot safer. My family members and farm team here
John Block Reports: Farming Today Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. Big Change – we can all remember that President Trump had no interest or concern about “climate change.” When elected he quickly withdrew the U.S. from the World Climate Accord. Thursday this week is “Earth Day” and President Biden will host a virtual climate conference with more
John Block Reports: Earth Day Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. President Biden declared March 23rd as National Agriculture Day. He said, “I call upon all Americans to join me in recognizing and affirming our commitment to and appreciation for our farmers, ranchers, farm workers, and those who work in the agriculture sector across the nation.” The President’s
John Block Reports: Ag Day Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. I want to have an open mind and be fair as I evaluate the policies advocated by President Biden and our new Congress. It is too soon to know where we are going on trade. There are a lot of disputes and not many easy solutions. We
John Block Reports: Issues Read More »
John Dillard, a principal attorney in the USDA – FSIS Practice Group, authored the following article on a recent citizen’s petition to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The article appears in The National Provisioner’s March issue. On Jan. 25, 2021, a coalition of food safety activist groups and individuals led by Center
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. We all know or should know that we’re going to have a $1.9 trillion relief package. It does target the needy, the hungry, and unemployed. But there are billions and billions for others to buy political support. Enough on that subject. There are other developments that can
John Block Reports: Equality Read More »
The UN Food System Summit (FSS), to be hosted by Secretary-General António Guterres as a part of the UN General Assembly this September, is generating increased attention for several reasons: It’s fast approaching. Hunger is on the rise. The new Biden/Harris Administration is committed to international engagement and hunger reduction. US agriculture has much
The UN FOOD SYSTEM SUMMIT: Upside and Downside for US Agriculture Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. I know that the battle over how much we spend and what we spend the money on in the $1.9 trillion Relief Bill will dominate our Congress. But I want to talk about trade now. In agriculture we are expecting a good year after 4 or 5
John Block Reports: Trade Read More »
John Dillard, a principal attorney in the USDA – Packers and Stockyards group, authored the following article on recent amendments to the Packers and Stockyards Act establishing a Statutory Dealer Trust. The article appears in Farm Journal’s mid-February issue. Cattle dealers play an integral role of the movement of livestock by buying cattle, creating
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. President Biden has a long list of priorities. Control of the Coronavirus heads the list. He has told us that he wants to work across the aisle, but if the Democrats run through Congress the $1.9 trillion relief package without some meaningful compromise, where is the shared
John Block Reports: A New Day Read More »
With climate change discussions being elevated on a local, regional, and global scale, many individuals are considering how their personal choices, including foods they consume, impact the environment. This has translated to a resurgence of interest in carbon labeling food products. Now that we understand the basics of carbon labeling and what it means for
Carbon Labeling: Who is Ahead of the Game? Read More »
President Biden recently issued an Executive Order (EO) to harness the federal government’s purchasing power to bolster domestic manufacturing. The “Strengthening Buy American Provisions, Ensuring Future of America is Made in America by All of America’s Workers” intends to support American industry and American workers. Overall, this EO looks to close loopholes in existing “Buy American” policies
How Does Buying American Benefit U.S. Food, Agriculture, and Medical Products? Read More »
By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. When you hear this radio commentary, we will have a new President. Joe Biden will face a long and difficult list of challenges. Topping the list will be the Coronavirus and a $1.9 trillion stimulus to lift our economy. That huge spending bill has not passed the
John Block Reports: Stimulus Package Read More »
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