Republicans oppose ag labor bill as ‘amnesty’
Senate Republicans threw up barriers on Wednesday to a House-passed bill that would give legal status to undocumented farmworkers and streamline the H-2A guestworker program. They called for action first to tighten control of the U.S.-Mexico border and vowed to vote against “amnesty” for undocumented farmworkers, who are estimated to make up half of the agricultural labor force.
FTC to devote more attention to right to repair
Less than two weeks after President Biden called for federal agencies to encourage competition, the Federal Trade Commission voted, 5-0, on Wednesday to “ramp up law enforcement against repair restrictions” that limit the rights of consumers and small businesses to fix the products they purchase.
Whitley promoted to FAS administrator
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named Daniel Whitley to be administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service on Wednesday. He has been the acting chief of the agency, which tracks food and agriculture issues worldwide and promotes U.S. goods.
Today’s Quick Hits
Solar opportunity: Grazing sheep beneath solar panels seems like a perfect two-fer, providing forage for the sheep and vegetation management for the solar farm. (Farm and Dairy)
Bleak forecast: Everyone will pay the price for the western drought, says California farmer Mas Masumoto, from the growers who have to follow land to shoppers at the grocery store. (Los Angeles Times)
Plant-based chicken: Nobody in the poultry industry is squawking about plant-based versions of chicken, perhaps because some of the big processors are coming up with their own plant-based and blended products. (Food Dive)
More food waste: An estimated 2.3 billion tonnes of food goes uneaten worldwide each year, an increase of 1.2 billion tonnes from previous estimates of annual food waste. (World Wildlife Fund)
