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United States Department of Agriculture
Industri: Government
Number of terms: 41534
Number of blossaries: 0
Company Profile:
A phrase generally used in a political context to rhetorically challenge the validity of the other side’s arguments. The phrase has arisen in agricultural trade disputes when a country imposes a sanitary or phytosanitary (SPS) measure that an exporting group claims is an unfair trade barrier because it is "not based on sound science." Often, policymakers or adjudicators are asked to make decisions based, at least in part, on which side’s scientific arguments appear to be the most convincing. However, the phrase sound science is not included in public laws or international treaties. Under the Uruguay Round’s SPS agreement, countries’ SPS measures must be based on scientific principles, and may not be maintained without scientific evidence. However, the agreement does not define "scientific." Under general principles of international law, the interpretation of the term is left to good faith and ordinary "dictionary" definitions. By requiring only that measures be based on scientific principles, as broadly understood and accepted by the scientific community, the agreement, therefore, does not expect those who are adjudicating trade disputes to choose which science is the "sound science."
Industry:Agriculture
Non-liquid, non-soluble materials ranging from municipal garbage to industrial wastes that contain complex and sometimes hazardous substances. Solid wastes also include sewage sludge, agricultural refuse, demolition wastes, and mining residues. Technically, solid waste also refers to liquids and gases in containers. The disposal of solid waste is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Industry:Agriculture
This refers to the required bidding process for infant formula sold through the WIC program. It offers an infant formula manufacturer the option of bidding to be the only provider of infant formula contained in WIC food packages in the state. Contracts must be awarded to the company that offers the lowest price (or largest discount) on its infant formula.
Industry:Agriculture
the term, from the Safe Drinking Water Act, means an aquifer which is the "sole or principal drinking water source for the area and which, if contaminated, would create a significant hazard to public health.:
Industry:Agriculture
A chemical that temporarily or permanently prevents the growth of all plants and animals, depending on the chemical. Soil sterilants must be registered as pesticides.
Industry:Agriculture
A program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service to inventory soil resources as a basis for determining land capabilities and conservation treatments that are needed, provide soil information to the public (primarily through maps), and provide technical support to those who use soils information. About 90% of the private lands have been mapped. In FY1996, maps were prepared or updated on more than 17 million acres.
Industry:Agriculture
Fumigating and warming soil by covering it with black plastic. This is an alternative pest control technique being investigated as an alternative to the use of methyl bromide (a chemical fumigant used in Florida tomato production and for other speciality crops, which will be phased out of use because of its ozone depleting effects).
Industry:Agriculture
A group of soils having horizons (or layers) similar in characteristics and arrangement in the soil profile, except for the texture of the surface portion. They are given proper names from place names within the areas where they occur. Thus, Norfolk, Miami, and Houston are names of some well-known soil series.
Industry:Agriculture
Depth of soil from which plant roots extract water.
Industry:Agriculture
Soil quality includes consideration of measures related to both productivity for crops and environmental factors.
Industry:Agriculture