Insights on Agriculture & AgTech

Environmentally responsible fashion has become a key marketing signal for many global brands, with advertising claims such as “sustainable,” “responsibly sourced,” “organic,” and “recycled” cropping up throughout the fashion industry. These claims respond to growing demand from consumers.

On March 7, 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), operating under its New Animal Drug Authority, took a new, important regulatory step forward in assessing genome editing in animals. Specifically, the Agency announced a “low risk” determination and exercise of enforcement discretion.

As you know, in our recent Alert, we addressed the announcement of the members of the FCC’s Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force (“Task Force). Now, the FCC has announced the new members of the four “Working Groups” that will assist the Task Force in carrying out its work.

Download Our Summary of the Most Important Cases.

The role of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in capital allocation and investment decisions are poised to take center stage in 2022. A trend that entered the mainstream with a statement from the Business Roundtable in 2019, signaling a shift in the business community.

The Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force has been Re-Chartered for a Second Term, and its Industry Members have been announced. The first meeting of the re-chartered Task Force has been scheduled for January 13, 2022, at 10 am.

Karen Carr, Co-Leader of Arent Fox’s Agricultural Technology Industry Group, will speak at the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources’ and CropLife America’s 2021 Annual Conference on November 10.

On November 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its long-awaited emergency temporary standard (ETS) mandating that large employers require employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or obtain weekly tests and wear face coverings in the workplace.  

A recent announcement by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got the immediate attention of companies that manufacture, process, or import finished products for sale and use by consumer, commercial, and industrial customers. 

AgTech companies promoting sustainability and positive social impacts may benefit from improving impact investors’ ability to assess and compare entities on these issues.

Carbon-reduction claims, such as “carbon neutral” and claims about lower “carbon footprints,” are proliferating in the marketplace. Many of these advertising claims are based on the purchase of carbon credits, an environmental asset that represents a verifiable reduction in carbon dioxide (or other

FCC Seeks Nominations for Membership on Task Force and Its Working Groups by July 12, 2021

In seeking public comments and suggestions on how to improve the exemption process for pesticides the EPA has provided a unique opportunity for developers to argue for an expedited path to market for their innovative AgTech as well as conventional products.

AgTech companies face an exciting opportunity to play a large role in achieving sustainability and promoting ESG.

Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad presents the agriculture sector with opportunities to have a voice in how the Administration meets its targets to reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

AgTech Industry Group Co-Leader Karen Carr will speak at the Environmental Law Institute’s “Technology & Agriculture: A New Age of Sustainability?” webinar on March 31.

Carbon-reduction claims, such as “carbon neutral” and claims about lower “carbon footprints,” are proliferating in the marketplace.

In his first day in office, President Biden sent a strong signal that changes could be in store for the pesticide industry by issuing a sweeping Executive Order directing a review of a lengthy list of Trump-era regulations, including 48 health and environmental rules.

Blockchain is one of the top technologies that can be integrated into various fields for improved security, traceability, and distribution. The agriculture industry is one area where blockchain innovation has quickly grown in the last few years.

With a “why not” approach, Thomas Vilsack wishes to build and promote a more resilient rural economy by identifying innovative opportunities in agriculture and tackling climate change while incentivizing carbon credits.

The report, issued by the FCC’s Office of Economics and Analytics, finds that broadband availability has significant positive impacts on crop yields and other farm production metrics.

Both practical and legal issues will need to be resolved, but as of today, the EEOC has signaled that mandatory COVID vaccinations are lawful for the vast majority of employees.

This updated guidance follows an earlier version EPA released for public comment in March 2019.

Arent Fox co-hosted the ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources and CropLife America’s annual event on November 18.

AgTech Partner Karen Carr will be speaking twice at the 41st Annual American Agricultural Law Association (AALA) Law Education Symposium in November.