Articles by Philip Brasher

The week ahead is shaping up to be the most important period for agriculture and food policy since at least the passage of the 2014 farm bill, with critical action coming on country-of-origin labeling, school nutrition standards, tax policy and a range of other issues

The Agriculture Department is tightening its Process Verified Program to ensure more uniform administration across commodities and to make it easier for consumers to check marketing claims. USDAps Agricultural Marketing Service is instituting a single management structure for th

Senators who have been trying to negotiate a compromise bill to block state GMO labeling laws say the issue is dead for this year. Agriculture interests and food companies have been holding out hope that compromise legislation that could be inserted in a must-pass omnibus spending bill tha

The Senate cleared a long-term transportation bill late Thursday after soundly rejecting a last-ditch effort to restore a $3 billion cut to the crop insurance program. The cut, which was part of the two-year budget agreement enacted in November, would be repealed by the

The food industry is launching a smartphone-based system that companies hope will satisfy consumer demands for information about genetically engineered ingredients, livestock production methods and other product attributes. The SmartLabel system, which also will allow con

The White House is trying to protect its waters of the United States rule during negotiations over a government-wide funding bill for fiscal 2016, a senior House appropriator says.

December is shaping up to be one of the biggest months in memory for U.S. agriculture. But there also could be plenty of disappointments as lawmakers rush to cut deals on a host of issues, ranging from critical tax benefits to biotech labeling.

In an unusual appearance before the European Parliament, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the Obama administration is committed to reducing carbon emissions and the use of antibiotics in agriculture.

Congressional leaders are using a compromise highway bill to reverse a $3 billion cut to crop insurers that was included in the two-year budget agreement.

Congress is headed toward another last-minute, end-of-the-year renewal of expired tax breaks, with House leaders continuing to push for making some of them permanent. Congress is set to adjourn for the year on Dec. 18, and one of the items on a long to-do li