California Big Rig Rules and Certified Organic Record

**California fleet owners are scrambling to comply with new rules to limit emissions from diesel-powered big rigs and other heavy-duty vehicles.

Producers that use diesel-powered trucks to haul their products will be required to replace some with zero-emission vehicles or install battery-powered refrigerating units.

But as these new standards go into effect, operators report the technology and infrastructure they need for compliance is not yet available and could be years away.

**U.S. sales of certified organic products in 2023 reached a new record.

According to the 2024 Organic Industry Survey released by the Organic Trade Association, dollar sales for the American organic marketplace hit $69.7 billion last year, up 3.4%.

Produce held its spot as the largest organic category, continuing to be the primary point of entry for consumers into the organic market.

Last year, the produce category grew 2.6%.

**The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the food price index was unchanged in April after increasing 0.1% in March, but the index for “food-at-home” decreased 0.2%.

Three of the six major grocery store food group indexes decreased in April, while the remaining three were up.

The price index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs decreased by 0.7%.

The fruits and vegetables index declined 0.8%.

The food-at-home index rose 1.1% over the past year.