Biden to sign bill with $ 4 billion in debt relief for minority farmers With Republicans complaining of discrimination against white farmers, the House passed a coronavirus bill on Wednesday that would provide an estimated $ 4 billion in debt relief for socially disadvantaged farmers. Coronavirus bill offers aid as food insecurity eases Although in […]
USDA extends school-meal waivers through September The USDA said Tuesday that it will extend a series of waivers to school meal programs through Sept. 30, as the pandemic hits its one-year mark and ongoing school closures continue to exacerbate food insecurity among low-income children. Covid-19 rates in meatpacking counties now mirror other rural counties Rural […]
USDA asks, is it time for Food Box 2.0? After spending nearly $ 5.5 billion in 10 months on its Farmers to Families Food Box program, the USDA said on Monday it was open to suggestions on a replacement. “While the food box effort served some communities well, it faced challenges in others,” said the […]
USDA debt relief for minority farmers is a certainty In just one month, a proposal for $ 4 billion in debt relief for Black and other socially disadvantaged farmers went from just-introduced legislation to a near-reality, needing only a final vote in the House as early as Tuesday. The Democrat-authored initiative to retire the farmers’ […]
Rebound in Europe to fuel largest-ever global wheat crop World wheat production will rise for the third year in a row, with growers harvesting a record-large crop this year, say forecasts from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Grains Council. While they differ slightly on how large the new crop, months away […]
Tackle hunger and diet quality at the same time, says Vilsack U.S. anti-hunger programs should address the twin challenges of nutrition — supplying enough food and encouraging diets built around healthy food — at the same time after decades of focusing on a lack of food for poor Americans, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on […]
Meatpacking plants in the spotlight at House covid hearing Meatpacking, poultry, and agricultural workers have faced “devastating” conditions during the pandemic, in part due to a lax approach to worker safety by employers and federal regulators, advocates said on Tuesday at a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. Farmers expect rapid growth for plant-based meats, but don’t […]
Equity commission will root out systemic racism in USDA programs, says Vilsack At the same time USDA announced its first-ever senior adviser for racial equity, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Monday that an equity commission would “identify and root out any systemic racism that may exist” in USDA programs. Climate mitigation ‘designed by farmers […]
‘One step closer,’ says Biden as aid bill moves to Senate A three-month extension of higher SNAP benefits and $ 4 billion in debt relief for minority farmers are in the hands of the Senate following a 219-212 vote by the House over the weekend. “We are one step closer,” said President Biden, who used […]