Foodborne illness outbreaks and subsequent recalls have garnered broad public attention to the safety of the U.S. food supply. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA; P.L. 111-353), enacted in 2011, aimed to improve food safety, among other objectives. In Section 204 of FSMA, Congre…

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (Agriculture appropriations) funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—except for the U.S. Forest Service—and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, in the Department of Health and Human Services). It also c…

The FY2026 Agriculture Appropriations Act (P.L. 119-37, Division B) amends the statutory definition of hemp in 7 U.S.C. §1639o established by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill; P.L. 115-334, §10113). The change to the definition—scheduled to go into effect 365 days after the enactment of P.L. 119…

Foodborne illness occurs when a person gets sick after consuming a food contaminated with pathogens, or harmful microbes. Produce and other specialty crops may be especially susceptible to contamination because of how they are grown, processed, sold, and consumed. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estima…

The House and Senate Committees on Appropriations approved FY2026 Agriculture appropriations bills that include provisions seeking to redefine the statutory definition of hemp to restrict the commercial production, sale, and distribution of certain hemp-derived cannabinoid products. House appropriators have expressed…

The U.S. specialty crop market consists of hundreds of different types of products. Each market has its own set of unique production and marketing conditions. Specialty crops are defined as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture)” (7 U.S.C. §1621). A…

Regenerative agriculture (RA) generally refers to a sustainable agricultural production system centering on soil health and involving certain agronomic and scientific principles. In some cases, RA often also includes broader efforts to balance environmental, economic, and social welfare principles. The term regenerati…