Insights on Agriculture & AgTech

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.

AgTech Industry Group Co-Leader Karen Carr presented to the US Wheat Associates’ (USW) and National Association of Wheat Growers’ (NAWG) joint committee on November 2.

Task Force Approves Reports Addressing Mapping, Connectivity Demand, and Connected Farm Employment

SPAC transactions present an opportunity for accelerated growth in the AgTech industry, especially in capital-intensive businesses.

Partner Karen Carr will serve as a panel speaker at the 2020 FDLI Annual Conference in October. Karen’s session is titled “Emerging Technologies: Regulatory Oversight of Intentional Genomic Alterations in Animals.”

The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to amend its pesticide regulations to exempt from FIFRA, the federal pesticide statute, certain pesticidal substances (PIPs) created in plants using biotechnology.

Substantial funding for precision agriculture is anticipated as part of FCC 5G Fund to support next generation wireless services.