(NAFB) – The Supreme Court handed down a ruling last week on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines in large workplaces.

The court says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t have the authority from Congress to impose a vaccine mandate on larger employers. The Hagstrom Report says several agricultural and food groups issued reactions to the court’s decision.

The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives says, “The action shows that OSHA needs to consider other alternatives to encourage vaccinations for workers across the country. NCFC has consistently said that forcing difficult testing and enforcement actions on employers would not help achieve that goal and would likely magnify the labor shortages being experienced across the agriculture and food supply chain.”

The National Grocers Association says the ruling “takes some pressure off independent community grocers who already face staffing shortages during a nationwide labor crisis.” Greg Ferrara, the NGA CEO, says grocers remain focused on doing what they do best, providing their communities with food.”