119-HR4485

Bill is currently in: House
Path to Law
House Senate President

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4485

1. Short title
2. Findings
3. Study of climate-friendly certification for agricultural products

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Climate-Friendly Food Label Task Force Act".

2. Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1) - 10 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions emitted by the United States come from the agricultural sector.

(2) - Sustainable agricultural practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent deforestation will be critical to preventing the Earth from reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels, the threshold that would result in catastrophic climate-related effects.

(3) - Improving the agricultural sector’s impact on the climate is a vital component of efforts by the U.S. to meet its contributions to the Paris Agreement.

(4) - The USDA Organic label represents a successful model for using a voluntary, market-based approaches to driving innovation in the agricultural sector and successfully created a robust organic market in the United States.

(5) - Market-based approaches like USDA Organic can spark significant economic benefits including jobs, and new, higher revenues for farmers.

(6) - In 2021, organic farming totaled $11,200,000,000 in sales, created opportunity for 17,445 organic farms, and 28 percent of organic farmers planned to continue to grow their level or organic production. A similar voluntary, market-based approach to climate-friendly agricultural practices could create comparable economic benefits for farmers and workers.

3. Study of climate-friendly certification for agricultural products

(a) Establishment - There is established an advisory panel to carry out the study described in subsection (c).

(b) Members - The advisory panel established under subsection (a) shall be composed of members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and shall include—

(1) - representatives—

(A) - that are scientists, including experts on climate science and nutrition science;

(B) - of environmental advocacy organizations;

(C) - of industry, including food manufacturing and farming; and

(D) - of other stakeholders, as the Secretary of Agriculture determines appropriate; and

(2) - at least one representative from each of the following:

(A) - The Department of Agriculture.

(B) - The Environmental Protection Agency.

(C) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(D) - The Food and Drug Administration.

(E) - The National Academy of Sciences.

(F) - Any other Federal agency the Secretary of Agriculture determines appropriate.

(c) Report required - Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the panel shall submit to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress a report that includes—

(1) - recommendations regarding the development of a climate-friendly certification for agricultural products that—

(A) - moves agricultural producers toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis; and

(B) - uses market-based approaches that allows for greater consumer choice and education; and

(2) - how such a certification would measure—

(A) - the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of agricultural products;

(B) - the water usage in production of agricultural products;

(C) - the land use effects of agricultural products; and

(D) - any additional criteria the panel determines appropriate.

(d) Publication - The Secretary of Agriculture shall make the report required under subsection (c) publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture.

(e) Moratorium on use of climate-Friendly certification during study - The Secretary of Agriculture may not issue any regulations or guidance or otherwise certify or advertise any agricultural product as climate-friendly before the date on which the report required under subsection (c) is submitted to Congress.