Almost one-fifth of the United States' gross national product can be traced to the agribusiness industry. Nearly one in every four workers in the United States is employed by agribusiness. Agriculture is an important part of our heritage and our national security. It would be hard to feel secure if our food supply could be cut off by other nations. The importance of agriculture to our economy and the physical health of our citizens is one of the reasons it is such a highly regulated industry.
Agricultural law is an inter-related web of many laws.
Environmental laws, international trade treaties, patent law, securities laws, property law, estate planning, fraud, and tort liability are all subjects that most participants in the agricultural industry have to face. The agribusiness industry must wind its way through a legal maze of laws and regulations concerning subsidies the government pays to farms or ranches to grow crops and raise livestock, and sometimes not to do so. International trade law is important to agribusiness, as export restrictions, import bans, and duties all affect the marketability of sometimes highly perishable agricultural products. Agrochemicals Agrochemicals refer to all chemicals used in the agricultural industry. The most common classes of chemicals are herbicides, which regulate the growth of plants, and pesticides, which control insects.