The week ahead is shaping up to be the most important period for agriculture and food policy since at least the passage of the 2014 farm bill, with critical action coming on country-of-origin labeling, school nutrition standards, tax policy and a range of other issues.

 

Congressional leaders are negotiating the final version of a fiscal 2016 spending bill that could serve as the legislative vehicle for addressing a number of top concerns to food and agriculture interests, including the COOL law for meat, reauthorization of school nutrition programs, and the Obama administration's “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule.

 

A coalition of industry groups hasn't giving up hope that the Congress also will use the spending bill to block states from requiring labeling of biotech foods. Meanwhile, the Obama administration is expected this week to release the 2015 dietary guidelines.

 

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