Steve Davies

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pledged to the House Agriculture Committee to “root out” systemic racism and barriers at USDA that prevent Black and other socially disadvantaged farmers from receiving the same level of assistance that has historically been available to white farmers.

USDA is re-starting the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and providing $6 billion in new forms of pandemic aid, tapping additional authority provided by Congress in December.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan reiterated his “open-door” policy for agriculture as the agency develops regulations and policies, and said biofuels, “especially advanced biofuels,” will be part of the Biden administration’s transportation agenda as it tackles climate change.

USDA’s top climate adviser, Robert Bonnie, says agriculture and forestry are going to figure in any new climate commitments that the United States makes to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Produce grown without soil can continue to be organically certified, a federal judge has ruled, deferring to USDA’s interpretation of the Organic Foods Production Act.

Farm labor advocates are calling on the Biden administration to focus enforcement efforts on violations of labor laws that occur during and after recruitment of farmworkers to pick crops in the U.S.

The $5 billion approved in the American Rescue Plan for disadvantaged farmers, including $4 billion in debt relief, is only the beginning of what should be done for farmers of color, three key U.S. senators said Monday.

Ranchers can continue to use currently approved identification tags for cattle while USDA examines whether to require Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, the department said Tuesday.

Climate policy is a top priority this year for President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats. But it's going to be challenging for the House Agriculture Committee to find a bipartisan compromise.

The Supreme Court wrestled with the question of whether a California law allowing access to agricultural property to organize employees should require a payment under the Fifth Amendment, which forbids the taking of private property without just compensation.