Top Ten Agricultural Law Issues in 2019
Delta Farm Press
In the world of agricultural law, 2019 was a year for significant developments and changes. In summary below, attorneys at the National Agricultural Law Center have identified and compiled the top legal and policy developments that affected agriculture in 2019, including many that will continue to do so in years to come.
4. Labeling new proteins: In 2019, 13 states have passed laws governing the words or phrases that can be used to identify new-to-the-market products such as new varieties of proteins (plant-based, insect-based or cell-cultured). Two of those states have also included language limiting the types of products that may bear the word “rice” on the label. This recent state legislation has brought a substantial amount of attention to this issue. In general, the statutes focus almost exclusively on meat labeling with the exceptions of Arkansas and Louisiana who also include rice. Challenges to the laws have been filed in three states so far, while similar legislation is pending in several more states and on the federal level.