Food Policy Under Covid
The last two years have been dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic and our government’s and society’s response to it. What has it meant for farming and food safety […]
About Judith McGeary
Creating A New Narrative In Animal Agriculture
Search the Internet for the phrase “animal agriculture under attack,” and you’ll come up with two million results. What are the problems of animal agriculture? There are good […]
Policy Update Summer 2021
CONGRESS AND STATE LEGISLATURES TAKE A HARD LOOK AT MEAT PROCESSING One of the major roadblocks to the production and sale of high-quality, locally raised meats is the […]
Four Elements Of Successful Activism
The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) sends numerous action alerts urging members to take action on issues ranging from raw milk access to meat processing regulations to vaccine […]
Looking Ahead to 2021
Given the general gridlock in the federal government, Wise Traditions readers are probably not surprised to hear that Congress hasn’t done much on food and agricultural bills in […]
Federal Policy Update
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER The USDA and Big Ag are “best friends forever,” but Congress and the courts might be seeing the light. The last six months have opened […]
Federal Policy Update
AGRIBUSINESS ADMITS THAT THE FOOD SYSTEM IS BROKEN. . . BUT NOT WHY In late April, Tyson Foods took out full-page advertisements in The Washington Post and The […]
Federal Policy Update, Spring 2020
LABS VERSUS FARMS In January, the Guardian published an article by famed environmentalist George Monbiot entitled “Lab-grown food will soon destroy farming—and save the planet.” Monbiot’s core message […]
Could Pasture-Based Livestock Production Become A National Priority?
In the last year, we have seen an unprecedented level of national discussion about agriculture. News pundits, presidential candidates, and social media leaders are suddenly talking about farming. […]
FEDERAL POLICY UPDATE
NATIONAL POLITICS TURN THEIR FOCUS TO AGRICULTURE For many people, the concept of “antitrust law” seems confusing and not important to their own lives. Why should you care? […]
Federal Policy Update
Our summer policy update covers developments on animal ID, lawsuits against Monsanto, GMO labeling and highlights from state legislatures around the country. ANIMAL ID FIGHT TAKES A NEW […]
Federal Policy Update
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner surprised the public with the announcement that he is resigning at the end of March. He had just recently hired senior […]
State Legislative Sessions, Lab Meat and More
‘Tis the season…for state legislators to decide what they will work on in the coming legislative sessions. With the elections over, new and returning state legislators are getting […]
House Farm Bill Fails. . . For Now
In a surprising development, on May 18th, the House of Representatives voted down the Farm Bill, 198-213. This is only the second time that a farm bill has […]
Your Activism Works!
Thank you to everyone who has taken action on the WAPF alerts about the PRIME Act! This bill would help remove one of the biggest barriers to local […]
Update On The Farm Bill
Despite legislators’ vows to get the Farm Bill through the House in 2017, it’s clear at this point that it’s not going to happen. The new target for the Farm Bill […]
Hurricanes, the Farm Bill and Animal ID
HURRICANES AND LOCAL FARMERS Massive hurricanes have hit two major agricultural states back-to-back. The full effects will not be known for months, if not longer. The storms hurt […]
Deja Vu – Is Animal ID Making a Return
Twelve years ago, American farmers started to hear about a federal program called the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) documents called for […]
AG & Food Laws: What’s on the Horizon?
What does the new administration mean for agriculture and food? Just over a month into it, we mostly have educated speculation, and the situation might best be described […]
Policy Update, Winter 2016
As 2017 nears, advocates are gearing up for the new session in Congress and state legislatures nationwide. At the state level, work continues on bills to expand access […]
Policy Update
Changing the U.S. food and agriculture system is a complex process. There are issues with local health department permitting, state regulations on raw milk and other healthy foods, […]
Policy Update
GMO Labeling For over a year, Big Agribusiness and Big Food companies have been urging Congress to overturn Vermont’s law for mandatory labeling of GMOs before it goes […]
New Regulations on Produce Growers
At the end of last year, the FDA released the third major final rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): the Produce Safety Rule. This rule governs […]
The Ups and Downs in the Fight Against GMOs
FARMERS SUE SYNGENTA OVER GMO CONTAMINATION AND LOSS OF EXPORTS Syngenta Corp., one of the largest biotech and chemical companies, is facing multiple court challenges over its genetically […]
Federal Policy Update
SUPPORTING LOCAL MEAT PRODUCTION Imagine a consumer who wants to buy local, hormone- and antibiotic-free, 100 percent grassfed meat. Upon finding a farmer who is raising her animals […]
FDA Undermining the Tester-Hagan Amendment Yet Again
Past articles in Wise Traditions have discussed the federal Food Safety Modernization Act and the Tester-Hagan amendment at great length. The focus has been on the high-profile aspects, […]
One Federal Agency?
For almost two decades, officials have made proposals to combine all federal food safety regulation into a single agency. Currently, a total of fifteen federal agencies have some […]
The Latest Installment on the Federal Food Safety Regulations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just wrapped up its second public comment period on proposed regulations to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The […]
FSMA Sample Letter to FDA
Subject: Keep Small Farmers and Food Producers in Business Take Action on FDA’s 2014 Proposed Food Safety Regulations! If you are a farmer or food business who may […]
Background On The Issues With FDA’s Proposed FSMA Rules
Background On The Issues With FDA’s Proposed FSMA Rules And Questions To Help Farmers & Food Businesses Personalize Their Letters 1. Issue: Definition of a “Farm” Background: “Farms” […]
Staying Involved With Congress, FDA, and the USDA
FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS: SHOULD DAIRIES HAVE TO PREPARE FOR TERRORIST ATTACKS? As WAPF members know, the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) poses many challenges for our farmers […]
Progress in the Continuing FSMA Saga and GMOs Heat Up For 2014
The debates over the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) started back in 2009 and appear nowhere near a conclusion. While one chapter of the story closed with the […]
Comments to FDA on the Scope of the Environmental Impact Statement
April 11, 2014 Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305) Food and Drug Administration 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061 Rockville, MD 20582 Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0921 RIN 0910-AG35 Submitted online via […]
Conflicting Signs in the Long Fights over Food Safety and GMOs
And Why It’s Important to Stay in the Fight! As the second round of the national food safety debate draws to a close, the future of our food […]
Congress Flexes New Muscles While Becoming Mired in Farm Bill Debates
When Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2010, it gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) significant new powers. For a couple of years, the […]
FDA Flexes New Muscles
FDA Flexes New Muscles While Becoming Mired in Farm Bill Debates When Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2010, it gave the Food and Drug […]
FDA’S Food Safety Rules
YOUR WORK HELPED CHANGE USDA’S POSITION ON ANIMAL ID! NOW WE NEED TO DO THE SAME ON FDA’S FOOD SAFETY RULES In March of this year, the U.S. […]
Policy Update: State Raw Milk Bills, Farm Bill and GMOS
STATE RAW MILK BILLS AND MORE As we head into 2013, the state legislatures are gearing up for their legislative sessions. Although a few state legislatures meet year-round, […]
Policy Update: Farm Bill and GMOs
As many people predicted, it’s looking more and more likely that the 2012 Farm Bill will actually be the 2013 Farm Bill. But the congressional saga is not […]
Policy Update: Critical Turning Point
It sometimes seems as though we’re being buried in a landslide of different issues on all different levels and topics, from international trade agreements to local zoning restrictions. […]
Policy Update: Defending Raw Milk in the Policy Arena
“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status,” said Laurence Peter, author of The Peter Principle. The raw milk movement […]
Staying Involved to Protect Our Farms and Our Food
In the world of activism, there is a “power ladder.” A group or movement starts by being powerless, then moves up to being recognized, at the table, able […]
Hard Lessons Learned in Texas Raw Milk Fight
The path to changing laws is frequently long and difficult. This year’s battle over a raw milk bill in Texas was particularly difficult and took some unexpected twists […]
Consumer Group Tells FDA to Focus on Large Facilities
Weston A. Price Foundation Contact: Judith McGeary, For Immediate Release judith@farmandranchfreedom.org, 512-484-8821 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Consumer Group Tells FDA to Focus on Large Facilities FDA’s new powers […]
The Food Safety Bill Implementation Process Begins
Even after the long fight over the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the reality is that much of the work is just now beginning. The […]
The Food Safety Bill Passes: What Does It Mean?
People inside and outside the Beltway had trouble keeping up with the many procedural turns taken by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. In the end, the bill […]
Chameleon Politics
It seems every time a bad bill or Agri-Business program stalls, it just changes colors like a chameleon, and comes back. The fight against S. 510, the Food […]