Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry Committee

The House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry considers matters relating to agriculture, food resiliency, climate change mitigation and adaptation, forestry and forest products, State parks and lands, and other similar policies.

While the U.S. often lags behind other countries in regulating pesticides and chemicals, Vermont has been a leader in protecting our environment and food supply.  The House is considering several bills designed to strengthen these protections.

To help newborn babies have a healthy start, it is critical to protect them from lead and other toxic chemicals. H.536 (An act relating to toxic heavy metals in baby food products) requires regular testing of baby food for heavy metals to ensure they do not exceed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits and sets up a process to make the testing results available to consumers.  Several states have already enacted similar bipartisan legislation, though Vermont would lead the way by including infant formula.

H.739 (An act relating to prohibiting the use and sale of the herbicide paraquat) would prohibit the use of paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide that has been linked to Parkinson’s Disease. Paraquat is banned in much of the world, including the European Union and China, but is widely used in the U.S. (including Vermont) to suppress weed growth in orchards and other crops.  The committee has heard a wide variety of expert testimony on the risks to human health and the impact a ban would have on Vermont agriculture as it determines how to proceed.

Agriculture has traditionally been the backbone of Vermont’s economy and culture, and farmers have historically been able to grow crops and raise livestock without being subject to the same local regulations with which other businesses might need to comply. The House is working on legislation, H.537 (An act relating to the right to grow vegetable gardens), that would clarify when municipal governments can apply bylaws and ordinances to farmers who make their living off the land, as well as to everyday Vermonters who just want to be able to garden or raise small amounts of food.