Key House Democrat says ‘no way’ to SNAP cuts
Congress will write the 2023 farm bill without harming SNAP, notwithstanding Republican suggestions to restrict food-stamp eligibility, said the senior Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee on Monday. “There is no way we are going to accept any cuts in this program,” said Rep. David Scott of Georgia at a farm conference.
Food insecurity rose in ’22 amid inflation, loss of pandemic supports
High food prices and a rollback of pandemic aids drove a significant increase in food insecurity last year, according to a survey by the Urban Institute that was published Tuesday. Some 24.6 percent of adults surveyed reported experiencing food insecurity in 2022, up from 20 percent in 2021.
Agriculture and forestry among pathways for rapid climate mitigation
Deep, rapid and sustained action is needed this decade to reduce the impact of climate change and “secure a livable and sustainable future for all,” said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Monday. In a so-called synthesis report, the IPCC said “many agriculture, forestry and other land use options provide adaptation and mitigation benefits that could be upscaled in the near-term across most regions.”
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Block WOTUS in two states: A U.S. court judge issued a preliminary injunction against implementation of the Biden administration’s “waters of the United States” rule in Texas and Idaho but did not block the clean water regulation from taking effect in the rest of the nation. (Bloomberg)
National Ag Day proclamation: President Biden signed a proclamation celebrating National Ag Day, on Tuesday, and honoring “all the farmers, farmworkers, ranchers, fishers, foresters, and other agricultural workers who do so much to make our nation strong, fuel our economy, and steward our lands.” (White House)
Free meals in four states: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed into law a bill to provide free meals to students at participating schools; California, Colorado and Maine also have free-meal laws. (MPR News)
Nebraska land values skyrocket: The market value of agricultural land in Nebraska is up by 14 percent from last year, to an average of $3,835 an acre on Feb. 1 — the second-largest increase in a decade. (University of Nebraska)
Global fertilizer use plateaus: After rising for decades, global fertilizer use has been flat for five years as farmers make more efficient use of fertilizer while maintaining or increasing crop output. (Sustainability by numbers)
