Biden pledges to ‘combat hunger and improve nutrition for every American’
In a White House video, President Biden said on Wednesday that the administration would “lay out our plan to combat hunger and improve nutrition for every American” at the hunger, nutrition, and health conference set for September. More than 10 percent of Americans were food insecure and hunger rates spiked during the early months of the pandemic.
Global tally of acute food insecurity rises 26 percent
Around 193 million people in 53 countries and territories experienced acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels in 2021, an increase of 40 million from the previous year. “The situation is expected to worsen in 2022,” said a report by the Global Network Against Food Crises on Wednesday.
Vegetable oil prices could remain high into 2023
The Russian invasion of Ukraine focused world attention on wheat prices and disruptions of supplies to poor countries that rely on imported grain. Now analysts at the IFPRI think tank say there is “another important emerging food security issue: the war’s impact on vegetable oils.”
Today’s Quick Hits
Delgado named lieutenant governor: Calling him “a rising star,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Democratic Rep. Antonio Delgado, a House Agriculture Committee member with an upstate district, as lieutenant governor. The timing of his resignation from Congress was unclear. (Albany Times Union)
Intervene in debt relief suit: A U.S. district court judge in Texas ruled that the National Black Farmers Association and the Association of American Indian Farmers can intervene in a lawsuit by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller to block federal debt relief for socially disadvantaged farmers. (Public Justice)
HPAI in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin: Highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed at two turkey farms in Wisconsin and a duck breeding farm in Pennsylvania, raising U.S. bird flu losses to nearly 37 million birds. (USDA)
Winter wheat yields imperiled: Growers in large swaths of the major winter wheat regions of the country face the prospect of below-average yields because of persistent drought. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Tom Vilsack, commencement speaker: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was scheduled to speak at commencement ceremonies at Utah State University on Thursday and at the University of Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday. (FERN’s Ag Insider)
