Month: October 2021

‘Build back better’ bill would pay farmers to plant cover crops House Democrats, acting in concert with President Biden, proposed a $1.75 trillion social welfare and climate change bill on Thursday that would combat global warming by paying farmers up to $25 an acre to grow cover crops on their… Continue reading

Covid-19 cases, deaths among meatpacking workers three times worse than thought Five large meatpackers fell staggeringly short of their duty to protect their workers during the pandemic, with at least 269 deaths and at least 59,000 infections from Covid-19 among their employees — roughly three times more than thought —… Continue reading

Genetic engineering is the future of agriculture, scientists tell lawmakers The United States must modernize its regulation of agricultural biotechnology, especially in livestock, to reap the benefits of gene editing and to lead the world in breakthroughs of food production, said a panel of scientists on Tuesday. Joined by some… Continue reading

High food prices have consumers and aid agencies scrambling As food prices continue to rise, consumers around the country are being forced to adjust their shopping habits and aid agencies are ramping up support. Overall, food prices were 4.6 percent higher in September than a year ago, driven largely by… Continue reading

As COP26 nears, activists say agriculture should be a bigger part of the agenda The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which starts Oct. 31 in Glasgow, has been billed as a “turning point” for humanity and the “last, best chance” of averting climate disaster. And given the growing awareness… Continue reading

North America can lead the world on climate mitigation, says Vilsack The agriculture ministers of Canada, Mexico, and the United States described national initiatives to boost productivity and slow global warming at the World Food Prize symposium on Thursday, with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack saying, “There’s a tremendous opportunity… Continue reading

Biden administration moves to block copper mine near Boundary Waters The Biden administration took the first step to quash a proposed copper mine near the popular Boundary Waters wilderness area in northeastern Minnesota on Wednesday with an inter-agency request to block mineral leases in the area for 20 years. It… Continue reading

Fortenberry is indicted on charges of lying about campaign donations A federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, the senior Republican on the House panel that oversees USDA funding, with three counts of concealing information and making false statements during an investigation of an illegal $30,000… Continue reading

Farmworker safety agency is needed in California, says report The pandemic “simply became another life-threatening hazard” among many facing Indigenous farmworkers in California, said a report released on Monday. Based on surveys and interviews of more than 300 workers, the report called for the creation of a state agency dedicated… Continue reading

Pandemic brought 17-percent drop in school meals Federal waivers that allowed schools to hand out “grab and go” meals to students, and that made meals free to all students, were powerful tools in blunting the impact of the pandemic on food insecurity among children, said USDA economists. Although the number… Continue reading