‘Phase one’ fails to deliver, and a new approach to China is needed, says trade expert The “phase one” agreement that de-escalated the Sino-U.S. trade war is not paying off in massive sales of U.S. products, including food and agricultural exports, to China or in the long-term reform of Chinese trade practices, said Chad Brown […]
EPA approves dicamba on GE cotton and soybeans through 2025 The Trump administration approved the use of the weedkiller dicamba on genetically engineered cotton and soybeans for the next five years, saying new safeguards would tame a notoriously volatile herbicide blamed for damaging crops on millions of acres of neighboring lands. With Trump rule, food-insecure […]
Trump wrong on wind, just like ethanol, say Iowa Democrats Despite his visits to Iowa, President Trump “seems to be out of touch with what really matters out in the countryside,” said Tom Vilsack, agriculture secretary in the Obama era, on Monday. Vilsack was part of a line-up of Iowa Democrats to criticize Trump for […]
(AgInsider) Federal legislation introduced this month to automatically enroll children of eligible service members into school meals programs reflects the scope of food insecurity among military families — a population that often gets overlooked in coverage of hunger and economic hardship. The Military Dependents School Meal Eligibility Act, unveiled by Reps. Susan Davis and Mike […]
House ag leadership at stake in tight Peterson-Fischbach race If there were a “toss-up caucus” of U.S. representatives in the tightest races, House Agriculture chairman Collin Peterson could be its premiere member. The Blue Dog Democrat from western Minnesota is running for re-election against a well-financed Republican, former Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach, in a district […]
Organic agriculture sales up 31 percent in three years While still a small sector of U.S. agriculture, organic agriculture is booming, reported the USDA on Thursday. Sales totaled $ 9.9 billion in 2019, an increase of 31 percent in three years, and 29 percent of organic farmers say they plan to expand production. There are […]
(AgInsider) Public health experts are concerned about a possible resurgence of Covid-19 in food production plants this fall and say more comprehensive testing, physical distancing, and better data reporting are essential to keeping the virus in check, even as meatpackers insist that the worst of the pandemic has passed. The outbreaks in the spring at […]
Conservation Reserve shrinks to smallest size since 1988 Lawmakers decided as part of the 2018 farm policy law to expand the voluntary Conservation Reserve, which pays landowners an annual rent in exchange for idling fragile farmland for 10 years or longer. Although the expansion was expected to be popular — offering steady income after years […]
Cattle group proposes more transparency in market prices As an antidote for the dwindling cash market, the largest U.S. cattle group circulated a plan on Tuesday for meatpackers to voluntarily buy cattle on the spot market to assure fair and open prices, with the threat of mandatory disclosure if the system fails. Iowa leans for […]
Characteristics of cell-based meat matter for labeling, meat lobby says The government should base its decision about how to label cell-based meats on their characteristics — their relative meatiness — rather than on their production method, said trade groups representing meatpackers and the startups growing meat in the lab. Study: Participation in afterschool nutrition programs […]
Judge vacates Trump rule tightening SNAP time limits Pointing to the impact of the pandemic on the economy, a U.S. district judge vacated on Sunday a Trump administration regulation setting stricter time limits on SNAP benefits for able-bodied adults who do not work at least 20 hours a week. Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the […]
School meal programs have lost more than $ 483 million so far during the pandemic School meal programs have taken a massive financial hit during the coronavirus crisis, according to a new survey from the School Nutrition Association. The survey, which includes responses from school nutrition directors in 1,614 school districts across the country, points […]