Agriculture & Food Policy
- Holland & Knight's Agriculture & Food Policy Team represents companies, associations, coalitions and Tribes involved in all aspects of agriculture and food production, marketing and sales.
- The policy and regulatory landscape for food and agriculture is constantly shifting, impacting companies' ability to operate, innovate, grow and meet consumers' demands. Whether it's adapting to or challenging government regulations or policies, utilizing new production technologies or responding to regulator inquiries, success for food and agriculture companies depends on understanding and addressing business and operational risks and opportunities.
- Our attorneys and professionals advocate for our food and agriculture clients on a variety of public policy, regulation and compliance matters, representing them before Congress and federal agencies, providing them with an effective voice in the legislative and rulemaking process, and building and maintaining relationships that help advance clients' short- and long-term objectives.
Overview
Food and agriculture production is highly regulated and experiencing tremendous growth through innovation to meet evolving consumer expectations and demands to increase efficiency and productivity. Food and agriculture companies are leading the charge to implement innovative technologies, practices and solutions that maximize productivity and yield, reduce environmental and climate change impacts and satisfy consumer preferences. In many instances, these efforts outpace government laws, policies and regulations, which can pose significant business and operational risks.
The attorneys and professionals on Holland & Knight's Agriculture & Food Policy Team serve as trusted advisers and business partners focused on the laws, regulations and policies that impact our clients' ability to operate and grow their businesses. Our clients include seed companies, human and animal food manufacturers, agriculture input and technology companies, meat, poultry and seafood producers and processors, farmers, grocery stores, distilleries, distributors, and other food and agriculture stakeholders across the country.
We provide our clients with skilled advice on a wide range of issues, including:
- the Farm Bill
- the Food Safety Modernization Act and its implementing regulations
- the annual Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
- regulatory investigations
- pesticide regulations and use
- international trade and market access
- new technologies
- federal and state grants and loans
- mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
- commercial transactions
- labor disputes
- land, water and farming rights, including ranching and farm land management
- real estate, including the acquisition and disposition of large farms and ranches
- agricultural operations matters, including carbon sequestration, timber management, livestock operations, environmental issues, agrotourism, grazing leases and farm leases, among others
We leverage our relationships in Congress with federal agencies – including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – and with nongovernmental organizations to effectively convey our clients' positions, interests and concerns, with an eye toward anticipating and addressing challenges and opportunities. In advocating for our clients, we are committed to a bipartisan approach that is a pillar of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group, allowing us to advance our clients' priorities regardless of which party controls the levers of government.
Our attorneys and professionals also collaborate with experienced colleagues in other Holland & Knight practice areas to provide skilled counsel to food and agriculture clients in matters involving M&A, commercial transactions, capital raising and financing, real estate, data security and privacy, intellectual property, tax and litigation, as well as bankruptcy proceedings.
