On Friday, January 12, 2024, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this next webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law educational series: “Understanding the Basics of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.”
The Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), enacted in 1930 in response to industry requests, serves as the primary federal law regulating fruit and vegetable marketing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers PACA, which, according to AMS, “promote[s] fair trade” and “protects businesses dealing in fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables by establishing and enforcing a code of fair business practices and by helping companies resolve business disputes.”
This webinar provides an overview of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, including a discussion of key provisions, such as the “unfair conduct” and statutory trust provisions.
00:01 - Introduction with Audry Thompson
3:15 - Understanding the Basics of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act with Brook Duer
3:20 - Govt Regulation of Supply Chain Transactions
16:08 - Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act
23:43 - PACA Resources
24:55 - PACA - Background
27:06 - PACA - Purposes
27:25 - PACA Requirements
27:58 - Regulated Entity
31:06 - Perishable Agricultural Commodity
35:35 - Interstate or Foreign Commerce
39:37 - Basic Provisions of PACA
47:25 - Unfair Conduct
49:43 - Remedies/Sanctions
53:03 - Statutory Trust - 1980 Amendment
57:03 - Caveat: Seller's Obligations to Preserve the Statutory Trust Benefit
59:52 - Q&A
