August 2021 called turning point for crop protection regulation

Nov 15, 2023

Aug. 4, 2021, was a significant day for farmers and people who work in the crop protection industry.

On that day, the federal ministers of health, agriculture and environment came together for a news conference — about seven weeks before the federal election.

They announced a “pause” on proposed increases for maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides. The pause was necessary, they said, because the government was revamping the pesticide review process and creating a scientific panel to make it more “transparent.”

The Aug. 4 announcement was likely in response to a controversial decision by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

In May of 2021, the PMRA proposed increases to glyphosate MRLs on a variety of pulses and other products such as barley bran, wheat germ and rolled oats.

The proposal was connected to an application by Bayer CropScience to have Canada’s MRLs aligned with CODEX MRLs, stemming from a 2019 joint recommendation from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization.

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Video: Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

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The Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or advanced biofuels. Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS is implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This webinar provides an overview of the legal authority and structure for the RFS program and explain how it works, including the program’s system of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and categories of renewable fuels. Additionally, this webinar addresses EPA annual volume requirement rulemaking and associated recent legal issues.