Highlights |
Title X
Miscellaneous |
Modifies crop insurance and organic agriculture
programs. Includes new provisions on country-of-origin
labeling, animal health and welfare, and some support
for specialty commodities. |
Key
Provisions
Provisions |
1996-2001 farm
legislation |
2002 Farm Bill |
Crop insurance and disaster assistance |
Crop insurance is available
for a wide variety of crops, but not always in each locality
where a crop is grown. Premiums are federally subsidized. |
Beginning with the 1997 crop year, dual
delivery of crop insurance by the Farm Service Agency
and private insurance agents was eliminated in States
(or portions of States) that had adequate access to private
crop insurance providers.
Supplemental ad hoc assistance in 1999 and 2000 provided
additional insurance subsidies. |
No changes to basic program. |
Agricultural Risk Protection
Act of 2000 (ARPA) provided an additional $8.2 billion
for insurance premium subsidies for FY 2001-05. ARPA raised
premium subsidies with the goal of increasing insurance
participation and encouraging use of higher coverage levels.
ARPA also set revenue insurance subsidies at the same
premium subsidy rates as for yield insurance. |
ARPA provision (scheduled to
go into effect in 2006) that allowed selection of continuous
levels, rather than coverage level at fixed intervals,
was eliminated. |
Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) Pilot Crop
Insurance Program |
The Risk Management Agency initiated a pilot
AGR insurance program in 1999 to offer coverage for crops
for which traditional crop insurance is not available.
Insurance coverage under AGR, based on Adjusted Gross
Revenue on Internal Revenue Service Schedule F, covers
gross revenue from all farm commodities. AGR was initially
offered in selected counties in 5 States; its availability
was increased in 2001 to 17 States. In 2002, it was available
in these 17 States. |
Requires that AGR Pilot Program be continued
through at least 2004 in the counties where it was offered
in 2002. Requires that at least 8 counties in California
and at least 8 counties in Pennsylvania be added to the
pilot program in 2003. |
| Study feasibility of producer indemnification
from government-caused disasters |
No similar provisions. |
The Secretary of Agriculture is required
to conduct a study of the feasibility of expanding crop
insurance and noninsured crop assistance coverage to include
disaster conditions caused primarily by Federal action
restricting access to irrigation water. |
Top of page
Provisions |
1996-2001 farm
legislation |
2002 Farm Bill |
Country-of-origin labeling
|
Federal law (the Tariff Act of 1930
as amended, the Federal Meat Inspection Act as amended,
and other
legislation) requires most imports, including many
food items, to bear labels informing the "ultimate purchaser"
of their country of origin. Generally, the "ultimate
purchaser" is the last U.S. person who received
the article in the form in which it was imported. |
Requires retailers to inform consumers of the country
of origin at the final point of sale for covered commodities.
Food-service establishments are exempted.
The Secretary is required to issue guidelines for voluntary
country-of-origin labeling by September 30, 2002. The
Secretary is required to promulgate mandatory regulations
by September 30, 2004. |
Coverage |
Retail-ready packages—e.g., a can of
Danish ham, a slab of Dutch cheese, and shrink-wrapped
English cucumbers—each have to carry a country-of-origin
label. In contrast, if the article is substantially
transformed by a U.S. processor or manufacturer,
that processor or
manufacturer is considered the ultimate purchaser.
For example, meat and other items are not required
to carry
a country-of-origin mark after cutting or processing
in the U.S. Current Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations
allow voluntary labeling of fresh beef products
using terms such as "U.S.A. Beef," and "Fresh
American Beef" (products born, raised, and slaughtered
in the U.S.), or "Product of the U.S.A." (products
that, at a minimum, have been prepared in the U.S.). |
Covered commodities are muscle cuts of beef,
lamb, and pork; ground beef, ground lamb, and ground pork;
farm-raised fish and shellfish; wild fish and shellfish;
perishable agricultural commodities (fresh fruits and
vegetables as defined by the Perishable Agricultural Commodities
Act); and peanuts.
For covered meat to have a U.S. country-of-origin label,
it must be exclusively from an animal that is born,
raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.
Provides new seafood labeling responsibilities to USDA,
while all other seafood labeling responsibilities remain
with the Food and Drug Administration. The label must
distinguish between farm-raised and wild-harvest seafood
products. |
Content and placement of labels |
U.S. customs laws require each imported
article produced abroad to be marked for the ultimate
purchaser in a conspicuous place as legibly, indelibly,
and permanently as the nature of the article permits. |
The required country-of-origin information
is provided to consumers by a label, stamp, mark, placard,
or other clear and visible sign on the commodity or on
the package, display, holding unit, or bin containing
the commodity. |
Compliance and verification |
Customs laws require that if the article
is not properly marked at the time of importation, a marking
duty equal to 10% of the customs value of the article
be assessed.
FSIS regulations on voluntary labeling require that
all such geographic claims be substantiated before label
approval through records documenting adherence to a
producer's operational protocol, and through testimonials
and affidavits. |
Provides for compliance audit trails and
requires participants in the marketing chain to supply
information to retailers. Retailers may be fined up to
$10,000 for willfully failing to comply.
The Secretary "shall not use a mandatory identification
system to verify the country of origin..." but
may use "…as a model certification programs
in existence." |
Top of page
Provisions |
1996-2001 farm
legislation |
2002 Farm Bill |
Specialty crops |
Market loss assistance for apple producers |
Ad hoc emergency payments were made to apple
producers in 2000 and 2001. |
Provides $94 million of Commodity
Credit Corporation (CCC) funds for fiscal year (FY)
2002 to make payments to apple producers who suffered
market losses during crop year (CY) 2000. The maximum
quantity of apples for which producers on a farm are eligible
for payments is 5 million pounds. |
Fruit and vegetable domestic promotion
program |
No similar provisions. |
A new $10-million-per-year cost-share pilot
program is established to create demonstration projects
aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and
promoting healthy eating. |
Purchase of specialty crops for schools
and military service institutions |
USDA purchases commodities for school lunches
and for service institutions. Purchase of fruits and vegetables
was not specified. |
Requires the Secretary to purchase at least
$200 million in fruits, vegetables, and other specialty
food crops. |
Cranberry Acreage Reserve Program |
No similar provisions. |
Authorizes $10 million for a Cranberry Acreage
Reserve Program. The program entails purchase of permanent
easements on wetlands or on buffer strips adjacent to
wetlands that are environmentally sensitive and have been
or are currently used for cranberry cultivation. |
Market loss assistance for onion producers |
No similar provisions. |
Provides $10 million of CCC funds as a grant
to the State of New York to support onion producers in
Orange County who suffered losses to onion crops during
1 or more CY 1996-2000. |
Top of page
Provisions |
1996-2001
farm legislation |
2002
Farm Bill |
Animal and plant protection |
Animal health protection provisions
consolidate and enhance authority of the Secretary relating
to protection of animal health. |
No similar provisions. |
The Secretary may prohibit or restrict
entry of any animal or related material if necessary to
prevent spread of any livestock pest or disease. The Secretary
may also prohibit or restrict exports if necessary to
prevent the spread of livestock pests or diseases from
or within the U.S. The Secretary has express authority
to hold, seize, treat, or destroy any animal, as well
as to limit interstate livestock movement. The Secretary
shall compensate owners based on fair market value of
destroyed animals and related material. The Secretary
may also take measures to detect, control, or eradicate
any pest or disease of livestock. |
Commercial fisheries failure |
No similar provisions. |
The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Commerce, can make funds available for emergency
disaster relief to the commercial fishery industry in
the Northeast. Funds would be used to reduce fishing capacity
in the Northeast by buying up fishing permits. The program
terminates in May 2003. |
Market names for catfish and ginseng |
No similar provisions. |
The term "catfish" (for
labeling and advertising purposes) is restricted
to fish within
the family Ictaluridae. For labeling or advertising
of herbs or herbal ingredients, the term ''ginseng'' may
only be considered to be a common or usual name for any
herb or herbal ingredient that is derived from a plant
classified within the genus Panax. |
Animal welfare provisions |
No similar provisions. |
Provisions of the Animal Welfare subtitle
clarify definitions for animals covered under the
Animal Welfare Act, prohibit interstate movement
of animals for
animal fighting, and include a "Sense of Congress" that
the Secretary should fully enforce the Humane Methods
of Slaughter Act. |
Penalties for violations of the Plant
Protection Act |
The Plant Protection Act of 2000 defined
USDA's authorities and responsibilities concerning plant
protection, including actions to prevent the introduction
and interstate movement of alien plant pests. It amended
and superceded provisions in 10 laws, providing 1 statutory
framework. It defines criminal and civil violation. |
Increases criminal penalties for persons
who knowingly destroy records, move pests in commerce,
or commit multiple violations of the Plant Protection
Act. |
Top of page
Provisions |
1996-2001 farm legislation |
2002 Farm Bill |
Food safety |
Animal health research |
Mandated that animal health and disease
research should focus on protecting humans from animal
diseases that can be transmitted to humans, as well as
other objectives. |
Scientific studies allowed on transmission
of spongiform encephalopathy in deer, elk, and moose,
and chronic wasting disease. |
Non-ambulatory animals |
No similar provisions. |
The Secretary shall investigate and submit
a report to Congress on non-ambulatory animals (downed
livestock that are too sick or injured to stand), promulgate
regulations, and enforce them. |
Food Safety Commission |
No similar provisions. |
Establishes a national Food Safety Commission
that will make specific recommendations to improve food
safety. The 15 commission members will be appointed by
the President, and will include consumers, food scientists,
food industry representatives, and health professionals,
but no more than 3 Federal employees. |
Irradiation |
No similar provisions. The Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defined misbranded (improperly
labeled) food, but did not specify which foods could
be
labeled as "pasteurized." |
The term "pasteurization" is
redefined to include other processes for eliminating
microbial pathogens
besides heat treatment, potentially allowing foods
treated with irradiation, high pressure, or ultraviolet
light
to be labeled as pasteurized. The Secretary of Health
and Human Services will issue a final rule to regulate
labeling of irradiated foods. Until the rule is issued,
proposed labels will be promptly reviewed. |
Biotechnology education |
No similar provisions. |
The Secretary will implement a public education
program to provide information about the safety of foods
produced using biotechnology. Scientific data from the
program will be collected and made available. |
Top of page
Provisions |
1996-2001 farm legislation |
2002 Farm Bill |
Organic agriculture
|
Organic provisions |
The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of
2000 authorized cost-share assistance for organic certification
to producers in not more than 15 States that have a historically
low participation rate in the Federal crop insurance program. |
Establishes a National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program to assist producers and handlers of agricultural
products in obtaining certification under the National
Organic Program established under the Organic Foods Production
Act of 1990. Provides $5 million in FY 2002, to remain
available until expended. Maximum Federal cost share is
75% annually with up to $500 paid to an individual producer
or handler. |
Exemption from commodity assessments |
No similar provisions. |
Farmers who produce and market solely 100%
organic products and do not produce any nonorganic products
are exempt from assessments under commodity promotion
laws. |
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