Existing Food Safety Regulation

Another category of regulations affecting farmers is food safety regulation. This type of regulation restricts pesticide use as well as drugs that can be used on animals. The EPA is the main regulator of pesticide use, the FDA regulates drug use and works with the USDA to handle inspections of food manufacturing facilities and food products. (1) These agencies set the standards for enforcing federal regulations of food safety.

The amount of pesticide that can lawfully remain on agricultural produce is regulated by the EPA. These allowed limits are known as tolerances. When setting those tolerances, the EPA takes both the risks and benefits of the use of a pesticide into consideration. The availability of alternative pesticides is also considered. Similar care is taken when determining what drugs can be used on animals and in what quantities. These regulations determine how much product farmers can produce and sometimes even dictate regions of the country suitable for growth of a particular crop or the raising of an animal. (1)

Emerging Regulatory Areas

Emerging regulations in this category will include government regulation of GMOs. According to the Library of Congress, the US produced 69.5 million acres worth of genetically modified crops in 2012 and accounted for 40% of the total global production of genetically modified crops. Some crops are almost exclusively genetically modified. For example, in 2013, 93% of soybeans, 90% of cotton, and 90% of corn was genetically modified either for herbicide tolerance or to resist insects. (2)

Despite the prevalence of genetically modified foods, the US does not have any federal legislation that is specific to genetically modified organisms. They are regulated like conventional products. (2) Many scientific organizations including the National Research Council, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Medical Organization have done studies showing there is no evidence of GMOs presenting unique safety risks when compared with conventional products. However, it is likely that due to public ignorance of the scientific consensus that GMOs are safe, we will soon see greater regulation. Farmers will need to be aware of what type of plants they are sowing. Any regulation of GMOs will likely affect industrial farms to a greater degree than family farms, but large industrial farms will be much better prepared to cope with it.