GMO DISCLOSURE IS HERE: You'll notice we aren't calling it GMO labeling. That's because the rule that officially took effect Jan. 1 is not really mandatory labeling, but mandatory disclosure — and only in certain cases. This used to be a hot-button issue. MA readers will recall years ago consumers and advocacy groups were pushing hard for mandatory labeling at the state level. The tiny but mighty state of Vermont actually implemented such a policy for a hot second — a move that had food and ag companies thoroughly freaked out. To avoid a regulatory patchwork, Congress intervened in the 11th hour to create a uniform national standard, and attention has since waned considerably. Now, the disclosure rule takes effect with barely a whimper of notice. A refresher: Food makers covered by USDA's rule have several disclosure options, including text, a symbol, electronic (like a QR code), and/or a note to receive a text message. Small food companies have the option of instead including a phone number or a website to make it easier to comply. There's also an ongoing legal challenge: A few months into the pandemic, the Center for Food Safety and a handful of co-plaintiffs, including some niche grocers, filed a lawsuit against USDA over the rule. What is bioengineered? The groups have a long list of reasons for suing the department, but the most fundamental is the argument that the rule straight up doesn't follow the law. One biggie, they argue, is use of the term "bioengineered" while prohibiting other, more familiar monikers like GE and GMO. (Brush up on all of this from The Counter here.) A truck-sized exemption: There's also the fact that USDA deemed "highly refined" ingredients exempt from disclosure if they no longer contain detectable modified genetic material (think high fructose corn syrup or soybean oil). That means many processed foods made with ingredients derived from GMO crops aren't covered. Supply chain woes be damned: Some leaders in the food industry had asked that USDA push the regulatory deadline back because supply chains are already so strained, but that did not happen. What's next? Keep an eye out for more litigation in this space as plaintiffs attorneys and consumer groups start poking around to see if food companies are complying, even with the exemptions in place. WAS THIS AN EXPENSIVE LOW-STAKES FIGHT? It's almost hard to recall a time when GMO labeling was a major, mainstream political fight. The food industry, for its part, spent massive amounts of money fighting labeling initiatives at the state level. The Consumer Brands Association as recently as last year was still fighting in court over an $18 million fine it faced in Washington state for violating campaign finance rules (CBA was still the Grocery Manufacturers Association at the time). This battle also helped fuel the implosion of GMA, as POLITICO chronicled. But what was actually at stake? Research from Cornell University suggests that in the brief time Vermont had mandatory GMO labeling in place, nothing really changed: "The mandatory GMO label itself did not have any direct effect on demand, which suggests that voluntary non-GMO labels may already provide an efficient disclosure mechanism in the absence of mandatory GMO labels," the researchers conclude. Read up on that here. DEMOCRATS SEEK TO NUDGE FARM BILL TALKS TOWARD CLIMATE: There's a lot of uncertainty around who will control writing the 2023 farm bill, but Democrats are making an early bid to shape talks around their climate and other major priorities, hoping to ensure they get at least some of what they want even if Republicans win a majority in the House this fall, reports Pro Ag's Meredith Lee. House Agriculture Chair David Scott (D-Ga.) plans to initiate farm bill negotiations in the coming weeks since the current bill expires in 2023. "Our focus has to be on making the funding for climate change solutions user-friendly and agri-friendly," Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) said in an interview. The farm bill, which is reauthorized every five years, touches nearly everything across the agricultural sector and rural economies. It funds programs spanning farm subsidies to food assistance and rural jobs programs. Strengthening the bill's climate-related provisions would cement the Agriculture Department as a central player in government efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions for years to come. The growing cost of extreme weather: Lawmakers are also acknowledging they will need to address how Congress funds disaster relief as extreme weather becomes more frequent and widespread. Last year, lawmakers requested and Congress approved separate, immediate disaster relief for Western states and other regions hit by extreme weather. Requesting aid outside the farm bill is often quicker, but some lawmakers worry it undercuts the farm bill's authority. "I think there's going to be a debate about if there is a way that we can tweak the existing programs so that ad hoc relief is not necessary to quite the same extent," said Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.). USDA officials are also eager to overhaul disaster relief funding within the farm bill. Robert Bonnie, USDA undersecretary for farm production and conservation, said during a recent trip to drought-stricken Oregon that he's hoping there's an opportunity for "a conversation going into the next farm bill about [disaster relief] and how we make sure programs work as intended." ANOTHER HOLIDAY, ANOTHER RASH OF GREENS OUTBREAKS: If you unplugged at all over the holidays, you may have missed the flurry of alerts over a trio of foodborne illness outbreaks tied to leafy greens — a segment of the produce industry that has problems so often that it's becoming almost cliché. Two listeria: Just days before Christmas, the FDA and CDC announced an investigation into a deadly 13-state outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections "potentially linked" to Dole packaged salads that extends all the way back to 2014 — a finding that sparked an expansive recall and suspension of two of the company's production facilities. Just a few days before that, health officials announced a separate outbreak investigation of Listeria found in Fresh Express packaged salad. One E.coli: The day before New Year's Eve, officials announced yet another leafy greens-related outbreak. This one included 13 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli that has been reported from six states. The outbreak has been linked to Simple Truth Organic Power Greens and Nature's Basket Organic Power Greens. Four people have been hospitalized. | 
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