The Department of Pesticide Regulation took a significant step in its Sustainable Pest Management agenda this week. It held the first workshop to establish a scientific advisory committee to provide recommendations on a priority list of pesticides to target for potential elimination.
After decades of evaluating risks to humans and the environment, DPR is reconsidering what “risk” means. The committee will help to rank the various risks each pesticide poses.
That raised concerns with Renee Pinel. As president and CEO of the Western Plant Health Association, she worried if the committee would follow guidance from scientific bodies or just solicit ideas from the public.
DPR staff assured her the process will be data-driven and transparent, though DPR will internally decide the data sets to prioritize and use that to rank the pesticides. The department will advance those with the highest scores to the committee for discussion. DPR pledged to submit its methodology for external scientific review.
The committee will also be collecting input from external groups — think the “Dirty Dozen” list compiled by the Environmental Working Group. That feedback will help DPR “quickly sort what would move to the committee as a potential priority,” according to staff.
California sues food bank over $11 million in misused funds
California is suing the Foodbank of Southern California after an investigation found the nonprofit embezzled roughly $11 million in state funding, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The food distributor initially closed in October after the California Highway Patrol raided its Long Beach facility. In a March 25 complaint, the state accuses 10 current and former board members and two of their relatives with misappropriating nonprofit money toward trips, home renovations and other personal favors.
Prior to suspending operations, the Foodbank was responsible for feeding over 850,000 people in Los Angeles County.
Trump targets state authority of climate goals
One of President Donald Trump’s latest executive orders seeks to curb state enforcement of fossil fuel reduction in the name of climate change.
It directs U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify and block state laws targeting climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental justice-related efforts. The order calls out California by name for enforcing “radical requirements” like CARB’s Cap-and-Trade Program.
Trump announces 90-day tariff pause, hikes duties on China even higher
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he will temporarily pause the country-specific reciprocal tariffs announced last week, except those applied to China.
“I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately,” he wrote in a post to Truth Social.
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
Opinion: This avian flu outbreak is a global public health crisis
Beth Bechdol, deputy director-general at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, says the rapid spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza has become a global public health crisis, highlighting the need for coordinated international efforts, early detection, and long-term prevention strategies.
Read the full opinion piece at Agri-Pulse.com.
Farmers applaud tariff pause — but there’s still China
Farmers and 401(k) holders are certainly breathing a sigh of relief after President Donald Trump paused his reciprocal tariffs. But two steep tariff increases on China in the last two days will still deal a huge blow to some ag sectors.
“We run the risk of immediate impacts this growing season, along with the impacts a prolonged trade war with China will inflict on our industry,” American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland said in a statement.
The president said in a Truth Social post Wednesday that he would hike reciprocal duties on China to 125% “effective immediately.” ASA’s director of government affairs, Virginia Houston, told Agri-Pulse she would expect the Chinese market to be “shut off” to U.S. producers under such conditions.
China was by far the largest export destination for U.S. soybeans last year, accounting for more soybean exports than the next nine export markets combined.
But, but, but: Farm groups were cautiously optimistic about the pause on some of the other reciprocal duties.
“While the pause brings some temporary certainty, questions remain about the long-term competitiveness for farmers in the global marketplace,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said in a statement.
“We encourage the administration to swiftly resolve trade disputes and to pursue strategies that will ensure America’s farmers can continue to stock the pantries of families here at home, and abroad,” he added.
House Ag leaders worry about brain drain from USDA buy-outs
The top Republican and Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee are worried USDA buy-outs will lead to a drop in productivity and institutional knowledge.
USDA employees had until Tuesday night to respond to buy-out offers through the Deferred Resignation Program 2.0. While it’s still unclear exactly how many accepted the offer, committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., said he’s worried about institutional loss.
“I’m not a supporter of that program, I think that’s a huge mistake,” Thompson said. “If our goal here is to increase productivity and efficiency, we’re actually incentivizing losing the most experienced employees.”
House Ag ranking member Angie Craig, D-Minn., said she’s hoping to connect with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins soon to get details on the buy-out, but told Agri-Pulse she is also concerned about brain drain.
“What I really want to know from USDA is what are we doing to mitigate the damage of losing expertise throughout the USDA,” Craig said.
“I'm sincerely worried about whether the USDA can actually do the job at this point,” she added.
By the way: The top Democrat on the House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee, Sanford Bishop of Georgia, says the Office of Management and Budget apparently forced Rollins to cancel an appearance before the panel Wednesday.
While we’re at it: Monopoly Busters Caucus launches
Craig is a co-chair of the new Monopoly Busters Caucus, formed to fight consolidation and lower costs for producers and consumers. The caucus will “fight corporate greed and promote a pro-worker, pro-consumer, and pro-small business economic agenda,” according to a news release.
It’s easy to be “in the know” about agriculture news from coast to coast! Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse news. Simply click here.
The group will focus on enforcement of antitrust laws to curb business consolidation. “At a time when the administration is launching our country headfirst into a global trade war, it’s more important than ever that we uplift small and local businesses right here at home,” Craig said.
Carbaryl labels include restrictions to protect pollinators, endangered species
EPA has approved label language to protect federally listed endangered species and other wildlife from carbaryl, or Sevin. Use restrictions include buffer zones near waterways to protect aquatic habitat and limitations on applications during bloom to reduce exposure to pollinators.
“These common-sense steps by the EPA will reduce the risks this dangerous pesticide poses to endangered plants and animals and provide clarity for the industrial farming community about how to use it,” said Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
CBD reached a court settlement with EPA requiring an assessment of the risks of carbaryl to endangered species.
Trump wins legal skirmish over independent agencies
The Supreme Court has given the Trump administration authority to remove members of independent agencies from their positions.
Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday granted Solicitor General D. John Sauer's request to stay lower court rulings rejecting that authority. The courts had allowed the reinstatement of National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox and Merit Systems Protection Board member Cathy Harris.
Sauer's request, also filed Wednesday, said, "History confirms that a court may not force the president to retain the services of an executive officer whom he no longer trusts with executive power."
Take note: Harris issued an order early last month to reinstate nearly 6,000 USDA probationary employees who were fired.
Final word
“In general, the state will face challenges in funding its existing programs, leaving little or no capacity to backfill federal cuts.” — Jason Sisney, budget director for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ office, explaining the “negative” outlook for California’s state budget in the wake of Trump’s tariff decisions and sweeping federal spending cuts.
