All Knowledge & Insights By Date

In July, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published the Trump Administration’s 2026 Unified Agenda. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Unified Agenda includes the following rulemakings regarding biobased products and biotechnology: Technical Guidelines for the Production of Regenerative Agricultural Biofuel Feedstocks: The Biden USDA issued an interim final rule (IFR) to establish new regulations that will set requirements for the quantification, reporting, and verification...

On July 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Signatory Agencies) announced an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to “reaffirm their shared commitment to protecting consumers from heavy metals and other contaminants in food.” USDA’s July 10, 2026, press release notes that for decades, USDA, HHS, and EPA have coordinated through the National Residue Program to...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on April 7, 2026, the creation of the USDA Guidance Portal, an online searchable, indexed database that contains guidance documents issued by USDA and its agencies that are currently in effect. Users can search all guidance documents in the library, or filter documents by date, agency (such as the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)), or topic (including biotechnology). USDA notes that the guidance documents lack the force and effect...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been around for more than 150 years, stressing the importance of American agriculture to a bountiful food production system since Abraham Lincoln first signed it into being in 1862. Lincoln himself, in fact, in his 1864 final annual message to Congress, christened USDA “the people’s Department,” just before commending it “to the continued attention and fostering care of Congress.” From industrialization to the mechanization of farming,...

In response to President Trump’s February 13, 2025, Executive Order (EO) 14212, “Establishing The President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission,” the White House issued part of what is being called “The MAHA Report” (with MAHA an acronym for Make America Healthy Again), entitled “Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment” (the Assessment) on May 22, 2025. Section One of the Assessment, “The Shift to Ultra-Processed Foods,” includes the Commission’s thoughts on the...

Ponder the following existential question: Who does their job less effectively? Members of Congress, or employees of federal agencies? Let’s examine the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees versus those responsible for legislating environmental laws. Congress has not been able to reauthorize environmental statutes for years, with some (most) needing significant attention. EPA relies on 1990 Clean Air Act amendments to sort out air pollution issues and address climate change...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened registration for the 101st Agricultural Outlook Forum. The event, entitled “Meeting Tomorrow’s Challenges, Today,” will be held at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, on February 27-28, 2025. Additionally, USDA will livestream all Forum sessions on a virtual platform. According to USDA, the program will feature a presentation on the 2025 outlook for the U.S. agricultural economy and trade by USDA Chief Economist...

On May 8, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a plan to update, streamline, and clarify their regulations and oversight mechanisms for products of biotechnology. The Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology: Plan for Regulatory Reform under the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology (the Plan) provides a roadmap for actions the agencies will take,...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on April 23, 2024, that it is funding more than 700 clean energy projects to lower energy bills, expand access to domestic biofuels, and create jobs and new market opportunities for U.S. farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers. According to USDA, many of the projects are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, “the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis.” USDA is providing $238 million in...

On March 28, 2024, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested information about potential additions to or subtractions from the List of Bioengineered Foods (List) as it pertains to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Standard). 89 Fed. Reg. 21484. Under 7 C.F.R. Section 66.1, a bioengineered food is a food that -- subject to certain factors, conditions, and limitations -- contains detectable genetic material that has been...