UNITED STATES - On Friday afternoon, President Joe Biden signed a new Executive Order in support of promoting competition within the U.S. economy. The Order states that active competition across all industries is essential for the American economy to thrive, arguing that it helps create higher quality jobs, more opportunities for partnership between buy and supply, and a greater ability for new businesses to explore innovation.

A Fact Sheet released by The White House outlines 72 different initiatives that will be pursued through the Order. These will be led by over a dozen federal agencies, aiming to take on persistent challenges as they relate to economic competition, the Fact Sheet stated.

In the Order, President Biden detailed several of the goals that will be led by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Of these goals, the USDA will work toward new rulings under the Packers and Stockyards Act, which will promote the fair treatment of farmers. Additionally, the government will strive to improve the accuracy and transparency on product labels, ensure greater market and retail access for farmers, and mandate more equitable practices when it comes to intellectual property systems.

The Executive Order itself goes into far greater detail on these matters, so please click here for more information.

ANUK will keep you in the loop as we wait to see how these initiatives impact fresh produce.