Food insecurity drops to lowest level of the pandemic
Hunger in the United States has dropped to its lowest level of the yearlong pandemic, according to Census Bureau data released on Wednesday. Analysts credited government stimulus checks, increased federal food assistance, and the economic recovery for the sharp improvement.
Corn may be king, but soybeans rule U.S. exports
By a wide margin, soybeans are the most valuable U.S. farm export, accounting for 18 cents of every $1 in sales during calendar 2020, said the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service on Wednesday.
Today’s Quick Hits
Fears of 30×30: The Biden administration proposal to conserve 30 percent of U.S. land and coastal waters by 2030 is causing anxiety in rural America because of a lack of details about what it means or how it would be achieved. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Philippines wants pork: The Philippine government cut import tariffs on pork in an attempt to overcome shortages of the meat and quash rising food prices in the country. (Reuters)
Bleak climate future: Parts of the West are already as dry as they usually are in mid-July, and the “prospect of another severe fire season, along with concerns about water supplies, is raising questions about how to prepare the region for the ravages of climate change.” (Axios)
One in three hungry: In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ravaged by warfare, Covid-19, and an economic downturn, one-third of the population is suffering from acute hunger. (FAO-WFP)
Covid rule delayed: The Labor Department has delayed the release of mandatory Covid-19 workplace safety rules to make sure they reflect the most up-to-date science on the disease. (Wall Street Journal)
‘Overreach’ on Cather: A plan by the Willa Cather Foundation to seek designation of 49 counties in Nebraska and Kansas as a national heritage area “poses the risk of federal overreach in our communities,” said Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. (Lincoln Journal Star)
