Food insecurity twice as high in U.S. military as among civilians
A quarter of the U.S. military experienced food insecurity in recent years, more than twice the civilian rate of 10 percent, said a USDA report on Thursday. Rates were highest among active-duty personnel under the age of 25 who were members of a minority group and whose spouses were unemployed.
Drought imperils production of corn, a vital food, in southern Africa
Hot and dry weather has reduced corn yields throughout southern Africa, “threatening food security for millions of households depending on this key staple for a significant share of calories consumed on a daily basis,” said the IFPRI think tank. In South Africa, the region’s major corn grower, the harvest could fall by 18 percent from the previous crop, said the USDA on Thursday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
HPAI in South Dakota cattle: USDA scientists confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza in a dairy herd in South Dakota, the first time the virus has been detected in the state. Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas also have infected herds. (News.SD.gov)
FRAC names interim leader: The Food Research & Action Center, an anti-hunger group, said Kelly Horton, its chief program officer, would serve as interim president after Luis Guardia stepped down last week. (FRAC)
Agriculture at 10 percent: The Environmental Protection Agency’s annual report on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions said that agriculture accounted for 10 percent of emissions in 2022, a level consistent with estimates in recent years. (EPA)
Who grows ramps?: Although the price of ramps — also known as wild leeks — can be as high as $40 a pound, “farmed ramps remain vanishingly rare” because it can take 18 months for the seeds to germinate and five years to get a harvestable bulb. (Ambrook)
