New Dietary Guidelines and WOTUS Clarification Needed
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**The Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA have released the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, marking a significant reset of federal nutrition policy.
They say the new Guidelines emphasize simple, flexible guidance rooted in modern nutritional science, and prioritizing protein.
They also recommend consuming full-fat dairy with no added sugars, fruits and vegetables throughout the day, and healthy fats from whole foods like meats, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados.
They also recommend focusing on whole grains, sharply reducing refined carbohydrates, and limiting processed foods.
**Farmers need rules that clearly define federal jurisdiction of the Waters of the United States.
The American Farm Bureau submitted comments to the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers detailing the impact of WOTUS on farmers and elements to ensure it can withstand future legal challenges.
Farm Bureau wants clarification of when wetlands should fall under WOTUS, continued exclusion of prior converted cropland, and exclusion of ditches from WOTUS jurisdiction.
**Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins congratulated Dr. Seth Meyer for his years of service as the USDA’s Chief Economist, and announced Dr. Justin Benavidez (ben-ah-VEE-dez) as the new chief economist.
Benavidez previously served as the Chief Economist for the
Majority Staff of the House Committee on Agriculture providing economic analysis on farm bill policy, commodity markets, and agricultural legislation.
