regulatory

California Senate Agriculture Committee Passes AB 408 To Fund Resilient Agriculture and Healthy Food Access

California Assembly Bill 408—the Climate-Resilient Farms, Sustainable Healthy Food Access, and Farmworker Protection Bond Act of 2024—was passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee on July 3, 2023. The bill, which is authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) and Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael), proposes a $3.4 billion bond to fund programs that support resilient agriculture and healthy food access in California.

The bond would be used to fund projects in four areas:

Stakeholder Input Sought for Regulatory Alignment Study

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has contracted with Crowe LLP (Crowe) to conduct a regulatory alignment study. As part of the study, Crowe is evaluating food safety and water quality regulatory requirements overseen by CDFA, California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and State Water Resources Control Board (Water Boards) as part of an effort to streamline the administrative processes and optimize information collected by the state. 
 

USDA Reopens Origin of Livestock Proposed Rule for Comments

On October 1, 2019 USDA reopened the Origin of Livestock proposed rule for additional comments. The proposed rule was closed by USDA in 2015 without notice but was reopened for a new 60-day comment period. Comments can be submitted until December 2 to Regulations.gov using docket number AMS-NOP-11-0009-1572. 

NOP Releases Policy Memo on Container Production and Land Use History

Jenny Tucker, the deputy administrator of the USDA National Organic Program, released a policy memo on June 3, 2019 regarding land use history requirements for container based production systems. This memo clarified that all container systems “including hydroponic and other pot-based systems with or without soil must meet land requirements of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and the USDA organic regulations.” The regulations require that land must not have prohibited materials applied for three years prior to the harvest of an organic crop.

FSMA Produce Safety Inspections Start in California

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) started its Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) inspections of produce farms this spring. Produce farms with more than $500,000 in average annual sales may be contacted by CDFA in 2019 for an inspection to verify the farm’s compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.

What to Expect During an Inspection

USDA Expands Allowed Uses for Elemental Sulfur and Reclassifies Potassium Acid Tartrate as an Agricultural Substance

USDA published a final rule making two amendments to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The final rule is based on public input and the November 2017 National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommendations for livestock and handling and will be effective May 30, 2019.

NOP Proposes to Reclassify Magnesium Chloride and Add Two Substances to National List

The National Organic Program (NOP) issued a proposed rule to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The rule proposed to allow elemental sulfur for use as a molluscicide, add polyoxin D zinc salt to control fungal diseases, and reclassify magnesium chloride as an allowed nonsynthetic ingredient in organic handling.