Climate-Friendly Food Label Task Force Act

This proposal would set up a national panel to study a new “climate‑friendly” food label for farm products. The panel would look at how a label could guide farms to lower greenhouse gases across a product’s full life cycle and help shoppers make informed choices using market-based tools and clear information. While the study is underway, the agriculture department would not issue rules or advertise any product as “climate‑friendly” until the panel’s report is finished and sent to Congress.

The panel would include scientists (including climate and nutrition experts), environmental groups, farms and food makers, and federal experts from agencies like USDA, EPA, CDC, FDA, and the National Academy of Sciences. Within one year of the law taking effect, it must deliver a public report that recommends how to build the label and how to measure things like greenhouse gases, water use, and land use. USDA must post the report online.

Key points

• Who is affected: farmers, food companies, shoppers, and a panel with experts from government, science, industry, and advocacy groups.
• What changes: a one‑year study to design a climate‑friendly food label using market-based approaches and consumer education; USDA cannot use or promote such a label until the report is done.
• When: the panel’s report is due within one year of enactment and must be made public on USDA’s website.