The federal crop insurance program began in 1938 when Congress authorized the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. The current program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency (RMA), provides producers with risk management tools to address crop yield and/or revenue losses for about 130 crops. The federal farm safety net also includes the farm commodity support programs, which provide price and income support for a much narrower list of "covered and loan commodities" such as corn, wheat, rice, and peanuts. This book provides a primer on the federal crop insurance program and highlights changes to the program by the 2014 farm bill. It also the examines the government's cost of the crop insurance program; and the extent to which RMA's premium rates, as implemented, cover expected losses.

This introductory textbook provides an overview of the concepts necessary for an understanding of agricultural and agribusiness law. The text will help students of land-based industries with little or no legal background to appreciate and identify issues that may require referral or consultation with legal counsel. This new edition is fully revised and updated, particularly addressing developments in taxation and trade, and includes a new chapter on criminal law, an area of increasing relevance to agriculture. Each concise chapter addresses a different legal issue that those employed in agriculture and agribusiness may face, and both federal law and representative examples of state law are included. In addition to traditional topics such as contracts, property law, and estate planning, the book also covers more contemporary issues such as organic certification, animal law, genetically engineered crops, and food safety. Agricultural law extends beyond those directly engaged in farming to those in agribusiness who provide services and inputs to farmers, buy farmers' products, store or transport products, manufacture food products and serve as intermediaries between farmers and consumers. The book will, therefore, also serve as a reference and a guide for those employed in agribusiness and agriculture.

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are the laws, rules, standards, and procedures that governments employ to protect humans, animals, and plants from diseases, pests, toxins, and other contaminants. Examples include meat and poultry processing standards to reduce pathogens, residue limits for pesticides in foods, and regulation of agricultural biotechnology. Technical barriers to trade (TBT) cover technical regulations, product standards, environmental regulations, and voluntary procedures relating to human health and animal welfare. Examples include trademarks and patents, labeling and packaging requirements, certification and inspection procedures, product specifications, and marketing of biotechnology. SPS and TBT measures both comprise a group of widely divergent standards and standards-based measures that countries use to regulate markets, protect their consumers, and preserve natural resources. This book describes formal challenges involving SPS/TBT that the United States has brought against some U.S. trading partners, which have resulted in trade disputes that have been, or continue to be, reviewed by the World Trade Organization (WTO). It also discusses the United States and European Union hormone and use of pathogen reduction treatment disputes; and the country-of-origin labeling for foods and the WTO trade dispute on meat labeling.

The farm bill is an omnibus, multi-year piece of authorizing legislation that governs an array of agricultural and food programs. Titles in the most recent farm bill encompassed farm commodity price and income supports, farm credit, trade, agricultural conservation, research, rural development, bioenergy, foreign food aid, and domestic nutrition assistance. Although agricultural policies sometimes are created and changed by freestanding legislation or as part of other major laws, the farm bill provides a predictable opportunity for policy makers to comprehensively and periodically address agricultural and food issues. The farm bill is renewed about every five years. This book begins with a brief overview of the estimated budgetary impact of the 2014 farm bill, followed by a summary comparison of the major provisions of each title.

This book focuses on those policies contained in the 2014 farm bill that support agriculture-based renewable energy, especially biofuels. The introductory sections of this book briefly describe how USDA bioenergy policies evolved and how they fit into the larger context of U.S. biofuels policy. Then, each of the bioenergy provisions of the 2014 farm bill are defined in terms of their function, goals, administration, funding, and implementation status. The book describes agriculture-based biofuels and the evolution of the U.S. biofuels sector with a focus on the role that federal policy has played in shaping its development. It highlights emerging issues that are critical to the biofuels sector and of relevance to Congress. Furthermore, this book provides a description of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program's main componentsannual and establishment payments, matching payments, and project areasas outlined in USDA's final rule, along with a discussion of program funding and implementation issues.

The WTO Agreement on Agriculture subjects different groups of developed and developing countries to different limits on domestic support and allows various exemptions from these limits. Offering a comprehensive assessment of the Agreement's rules and implementation, this book develops guidance toward socially desirable support policies. Although dispute settlement has clarified interpretation of the Agriculture and SCM Agreements, gaps remain between the legal disciplines and the economic effects of support. Considering the Agriculture Agreement also in the context of today's priorities of sustainability and climate change mitigation, Lars Brink and David Orden build a strategy that aligns the rules and members' commitments with the economic impacts of agricultural support measures. While providing in-depth analysis of the existing rules, their shortcomings and the limited scope of ongoing negotiations, the authors take a long-term view, where policies directed toward evolving priorities in agriculture are compatible with strengthened rules that reduce trade and production distortions.

On 31 January 2007, the Secretary of Agriculture publicly released a set of recommendations for a 2007 farm bill. The proposal is comprehensive and follows largely the outline of the current 2002 farm bill, which expires this year. It includes proposals regarding commodity support, conservation, trade, nutrition and domestic food assistance, farm credit, rural development, agricultural research, forestry, energy, and such miscellaneous items as crop insurance, organic programs, and Section 32 purchases of fruits and vegetables. The Administration delivered its report to Congress, not as a bill, but as a possible focus for debate and a foundation for developing legislation. The author has received many questions about the content of and potential issues related to the Administration proposal. Given the early stage of the debate, this book poses some questions that may contribute to a better understanding of the proposal. The book contains a brief description of current policy on each topic, a short explanation of the Administration's proposals, and then questions of a policy, program, and/or budgetary nature.

Seit geraumer Zeit werden verstarkt regionale Erzeugnisse aus Deutschland beworben. Der Autor greift diesen Umstand auf und befasst sich mit der Frage, welche wirtschaftlichen, umweltbezogenen sowie rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen und Perspektiven fur ebenjene regionale Erzeugnisse bestehen. Dabei erfasst er schwerpunktmassig unionsrechtliche Vorgaben. Er uberpruft auch, inwiefern Werbekampagnen mitgliedstaatlicher und privatwirtschaftlicher Natur fur regionale Erzeugnisse protektionistisches, die Warenverkehrsfreiheit in der EU beschrankendes Potential haben. Abschliessend zeigt der Autor Moeglichkeiten zur Erhoehung der Transparenz bei der regionalen Produktherkunftsangabe auf.

There are many people and places connected to rivers: fishermen whose livelihood depends on river ecosystems, farms that need irrigation, indigenous groups whose cultures rely on fish and flowing waters, cities whose electricity comes from hydroelectric dams, and citizens who seek wild nature. For all of these people, instream flow is vitally important to where and how they live and work. Riverflow reveals the diverse and creative ways people are using the law to restore rivers, from the Columbia, Colorado, Klamath and Sacramento-San Joaquin watersheds in America, to the watersheds of the Tweed in England and Scotland, the Fraser in Canada, the Saru in Japan, the Nile in North Africa, and the Tigris-Euphrates in the Middle East. Riverflow documents that we already have the legal tools to preserve the ecological integrity of our waterways; the question is whether we have the political will to deploy these tools effectively.

Originally published in 1932, this book was written by the British economic historian Charles Ryle Fay (1884-1961). The text presents a discussion regarding the socio-economic history of the Corn Laws, written at a time when it had 'been decided to once again tax or restrict the nation's bread'. Detailed notes are incorporated throughout. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Corn Laws and British history.

This publication provides guidance on legislative issues regarding land consolidation in alignment with the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security as well as international human rights law. It is based on good practices in Europe, and focuses on rural areas.Land consolidation is a highly effective land management instrument that allows for the improvement of the structure of agricultural holdings and farms, increasing their economic and social efficiency and bringing benefits both to right holders as well as to society in general. Since land consolidation gives mobility to land ownership and other land rights, it may also facilitate the allocation of new areas with specific purposes other than agriculture, such as for public infrastructure or nature protection and restoration.While this guide encourages the exchange of good practices between countries with ongoing national land consolidation programmes, it mainly targets countries in the following cases: where there is not yet a specific legal framework for land consolidation; where land consolidation instruments have a short history or are in the initial phase of development; or where a new legal framework is needed due to new challenges, such as climate change adaptation in agriculture or nature protection measures in rural areas..

This book addresses the issues and methods involved in governing risks posed by genetically modified (GM) agriculture. It examines the evolution of policies intended to ensure the safety of GM crops and food products in the United States and Europe and the regulatory approaches and other social controls employed to protect human health, the environment, conventional farming and foods, and the interests and rights of consumers. Discussion encompasses the cultural, political, and economic forces that shape the design and application of the methods of risk governance, as well as other contextual features such as the influence of multinational companies seeking acceptance of their GM ventures. This discussion also examines the influence of the dynamic public discourse fostered by progressive concepts of risk governance and the approaches taken to meet its demands for transparency, public participation, and appropriate consideration of public perceptions and values despite conflicting views of experts.

Food and nutrition security - identified via availability, access, utilization, and stability - and transitions to sustainable food systems are major discourses in the agro-food arena, as many countries today experience different forms of malnutrition simultaneously, such as child undernutrition, anemia among women, and adult obesity. Meanwhile, the triple burden of malnutrition (undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiency) is still widespread. Food Security and Nutrition explores integrated, context-specific approaches to food security challenges, emphasizing nutrition security as an integral component and addressing the implications of food content to food and nutrition security policies. Providing insight into these challenges through agricultural, policy, nutritional, geographic and sustainability lenses, Food Security and Nutrition is a valuable reference for food scientists and nutrition researchers working in food supply, food security, and nutrition security, and policy makers, investors, and other decision-makers seeking to address food insecurity around the world.

This book addresses the issues and methods involved in governing risks posed by genetically modified (GM) agriculture. It examines the evolution of policies intended to ensure the safety of GM crops and food products in the United States and Europe and the regulatory approaches and other social controls employed to protect human health, the environment, conventional farming and foods, and the interests and rights of consumers. Discussion encompasses the cultural, political, and economic forces that shape the design and application of the methods of risk governance, as well as other contextual features such as the influence of multinational companies seeking acceptance of their GM ventures. This discussion also examines the influence of the dynamic public discourse fostered by progressive concepts of risk governance and the approaches taken to meet its demands for transparency, public participation, and appropriate consideration of public perceptions and values despite conflicting views of experts.

Many farm policymakers generally consider the federal crop insurance program as the principal tool to help farmers cope with the variable impact of weather on crop yields. The program makes available subsidized policies that farmers may purchase each year to protect against yield and/or revenue declines during a particular growing season. Policies are available for about 130 commodities, covering crops supported by traditional farm programs (e.g., corn, wheat, and soybeans) as well as many fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery crops, pastureland, and other commodities. Farmers pay a portion of the premium, unlike farm programs, which are free. Premium subsidies for federal crop insurance have been instrumental in expanding program participation to levels acceptable to policymakers. This book examines current premium subsidies, proposals to limit them, and potential options for Congress. Furthermore, this book examines trends in federal crop insurance costs and farm sector income and wealth from 2003 through 2012; and the potential savings to the government and impacts on farmers, if any, of reducing federal premium subsidies for revenue policies.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) directs the EPA to restrict the use of pesticides as necessary to prevent unreasonable adverse effects on people and the environment, taking into account the costs and benefits of various pesticide use. There are an estimated 18,000 pesticide products currently in use. These generally are regulated under the FIFRA. This book provides a brief history of the federal pesticide laws and describes key provisions of the laws; including the pesticide registration process and how it interfaces with food safety requirements.

Roughly every five years, Congress debates legislation governing federal farm and food policy. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (also known as the "Farm Bill") was enacted into law on June 18, 2008. It contains 15 titles covering support for commodity crops, horticulture and livestock production, conservation, nutrition, trade and food aid, agricultural research, farm credit, rural development, energy, forestry and other related programs. The enacted bill succeeds the most recent 2002 Farm Bill and is to guide most federal farm and food policies through 2012. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the total cost of the 2008 farm bill at just under $284 billion in total budget authority over five years. This book is a study of the new Farm Bill and its costs, provisions by title, programs and related topics.

As the modern food system continues to transform food - its composition, taste, availability, value, and appearance - consumers are increasingly confronted by legal and regulatory issues that affect us all on a daily basis. In Food Law in the United States, Michael T. Roberts addresses these issues in a comprehensive, systematic manner that lays out the national legal framework for the regulation of food and the legal tools that fill gaps in this framework, including litigation, state law, and private standards. Covering a broad expanse of topics including commerce, food safety, marketing, nutrition, and emerging food-systems issues such as local food, sustainability, security, urban agriculture, and equity, this book is an essential reference for lawyers, students, non-law professionals, and consumer advocates who must understand food law to advance their respective interests.

This work debates and investigates the the cross-compliance system: where farmers comply with certain standards relating to the environment, food safety and animal and plant health.It discusses cross-compliance in the context of existing standards, on-farm costs and the competitiveness of farm businesses. Analyzing the economics of regulation both within the internal market of the EU and the broader world market by examining a broad range of agricultural products, this resource will be of value to agriculture and resource economists, policy makers, researchers and students in environmental and agricultural policy and modelling.

GMOS and Political Stance: Global GMO Regulation, Certification, Labeling, and Consumer Preferences provides a foundational-to-current challenges resource for those involved in developing and applying regulations to these important resources. Beginning with basics of GMOs, the book first familiarizes the reader with the history, economic status, associated risks, global politics, and socio-economics of GMOs. From exploring the necessity of GMO regulations with the existing GMO technology as well as new gene editing technologies to discussion by GMO regulations experts from different continents and countries, readers will find the information necessary to understand the laws, rules, regulations and policies at domestic and international scale. A last chapter delivers an update and future look on gene-edited food and feed and discusses the possibilities on the future risk assessment, legislation and regulation of gene-edited products. GMOS and Political Stance provides a unique and applicable synchronization of all regulatory information on GMOs to facilitate effective and efficient regulatory development and adherence.